An audio tape surfaced Saturday where Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan is purportedly heard saying that he wanted to resign as his views on candidate selection were not being heeded by the leadership.
When asked by reporters, Chavan said he was not aware of such a tape, but conceded that there was discontent in the party regarding the choice of Vinayak Bangade as Congress candidate for the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat.
In the audio clip which went viral, a party worker named Rajurkar from Chandrapur is heard complaining about the choice of candidate when the party is sure to win in Chandrapur.
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Chavan is heard telling him to speak to Mukul Wasnik, the Congress's Central Election Committee head.
"Nobody is listening to me and I am in a mood to resign," Chavan is purportedly heard saying further.
He is also heard telling Rajurkar to ask Bangade not to contest. In the end, he is heard asking Rajurkar to share Bangade's contact number.
At a press conference in Mumbai, where the Congress and NCP announced their seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra for Lok Sabha elections, Chavan was asked about the audio clip.
"There is discontent over Chandrapur seat," he said, adding, "These are private conversations between me and my party workers. I have not heard the audio clip you are talking about."
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Asked about his purported comment that he was feeling like resigning, Chavan said, "I have not made any public announcement."
(PTI)
