MLA Abdul Sattar expelled from party: Maha Cong chief Chavan

The Maharashtra Congress Saturday expelled MLA Abdul Sattar for indulging in anti-party activities, state unit chief Ashok Chavan announced.

Sattar, who has been unhappy with Congress candidates in Jalna and Aurangabad, had announced support for Harshvardhan Jadhav, who is contesting as an Independent from Aurangabad. Jadhav is the son-in-law of state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve.

"We had taken Sattar into confidence while announcing the nominee of Jalna seat. We had even offered him ticket, but he did not accept it. We gave him respect till he was in the party. But he has now been expelled and the issue is over," Chavan said in Jalna.

Sattar, a legislator from Sillod in Aurangabad, was reportedly unhappy over Congress Lok Sabha nominees Subhash Zambad, sitting member of legislative council (MLC), and Vilas Autade for Aurangabad and Jalna constituencies respectively.

Apparently irked by this, Sattar had resigned from his post of MLA and submitted his nomination as an Independent candidate from Aurangabad constituency.

He had even met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence Varsha to seek support.

Sattar, however, later withdrew his nomination with sources in the BJP claiming Fadnavis had assured him of a ticket in the Assembly polls and asked him to withdraw his nomination.

In Aurangabed, Zambad is facing a tough battle with Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire in Aurangabad. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen candidate Imtiyaz Jalil is also contesting from Aurangabad with the support of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar.