After ministerial snub, Jalna Cong MLA says will quit party

Irked at not being made a minister in the Maharashtra government, Congress MLA from Jalna Kailash Gorantyal on Saturday said he would resign from party posts along with several office-bearers and workers.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had, on Monday, expanded his council of ministers by inducting 26 Cabinet and 10 ministers of state.

Gorantyal said the decision was taken at a meeting of the district Congress committee on Saturday.

"I will meet Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Balasaheb Thorat and submit my resignation from party posts. Party members of the Jalna Municipal Council, Zilla Parishad will also submit their resignations along with me," he said.

The MLA claimed Congress functionaries of all tehsils in Jalna had already quit.

"The party has neglected me and not given me justice," he added.

Gorantyal had defeated Shiv Sena's Arjun Khotkar in the October Assembly polls.

City Congress president Shaikh Mahmood said Gorantyal was a three-time MLA and was also councillor earlier and had worked hard to strengthen the party in the district.

"We have decided to tender our resignations to the party leadership," Mahmood said.