Amravati: With its candidate missing in action since June 5, the Amravati Congress has convened a meeting at Congress Bhavan on Tuesday to limit the political fallout ahead of the Local Self Authorities Constituency MLC election.Congress nominee Harshjeet Deshmukh was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur last week for cardiac treatment. Though he was reportedly discharged a few days ago, party functionaries say he was re-admitted for a “kidney stone”. The unexplained absence has angered the local leadership, who accused him of accepting Rs15–20 crore to pull out of the contest.MLC election observer and former minister Yashomati Thakur and district Congress president Aniruddha alias Bablu Deshmukh have led the charge. On Monday, Thakur told TOI she would comment on the matter after Tuesday’s meeting.Bablu Deshmukh said the candidature was cleared without consulting district office-bearers. “Harshjeet Deshmukh assured us he would join the campaign on June 5, but he hasn’t reported to date,” Deshmukh said adding that BJP is using all its money and power to win the seat.If Harshjeet Deshmukh is seen as having unofficially withdrawn, the Amravati seat is now effectively a contest between BJP’s Praveen Pote, seeking a third term, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Dr Nilesh Vishwakarma.
