Chandrapur/Nagpur: The factional war in Congress in Chandrapur between local MP Pratibha Dhanorkar and MLA Vijay Wadettiwar has escalated with both sides trying to gain control of the group leader’s post in Chandrapur Municipal Corporation (CMC).On Tuesday, the political tug-of-war reached the doors of Nagpur divisional commissioner as both camps submitted memorandums backing their candidate as the group leader. Bidari has reserved her decision as of now.Sixteen of 27 Congress corporators from the Dhanorkar camp, submitted a letter seeking recognition of Surendra Adbale as the new group leader in place of Rajesh Adur. The Wadettiwar faction sought disqualification of these 16 corporators for skipping a meeting convened under a party whip on June 14.The dispute extends the bitter rivalry between the two camps since the municipal polls. Despite Congress emerging as the single-largest party in the CMC with 27 corporators, internal divisions denied it the mayor, deputy mayor and standing committee chairman posts, which went to the BJP-led alliance.Adur was earlier elected with the Wadettiwar camp’s backing, but five corporators recently shifted to the Dhanorkar side, leaving his faction in the minority.Dhanorkar, who was in Nagpur on Tuesday, said there was no split in the party. “There are 27 corporators in our group. The group has not changed and remains the Congress. Only the group leader is being changed because he did not take members into confidence,” said Dhanorkar.On the disqualification notice issued under the party whip, Dhanorkar said, “When you don’t have the numbers, how will your whip apply? A whip applies only to proceedings inside the House, not to internal party action.”She said she had earlier alerted the Congress brass on the need to change the leader. “I waited for two months, but nothing happened. Now, corporators have moved on their own,” she said.Sachin Katyal, Congress corporator and an Adur aide, said the latter was elected group leader with consent of all 27 corporators in the presence of the divisional commissioner, and sought disqualification of the 16 who skipped the June 14 meeting despite official notices.Asked about the Wadettiwar camp’s allegation that corporators were induced to switch sides, Dhanorkar demanded evidence. “Let Wadettiwar provide proof. Who took money, from whom, and who carried money after the elections, let him answer.”
