Mumbai, Jul 13 (IANS): A visibly angry Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole following the split in the party votes in the biennial election to state council claimed that the party had set a trap and found the legislators, who indulged in cross-voting, into that trap.

“The state unit has information about who cross-voted. We set a trap during the biennial council election and those cross-voted were today trapped,” he said.

He said that the state unit has already informed the party high command about it.

“The party will take action against those who have committed anti-party work and betrayed the party. They will be shown the doors,” he said.

He recalled the defeat of the Congress nominee Chandrakant Handore during the state council election held in June 2022 due to cross-voting.

“Those who had cross-voted during that election have now come into our trap. Such treacherous people will be thrown out of the party. Stern action will be taken against them so that no one will dare to commit such an act again,” he said.

“You may remember that some leaders had left the party. There were some MLAs with those leaders and their names are known. Besides, there are other legislators. After discussing this with the high command, now no fact-finding committee will come as we know the names and with the high command’s order the stern action will be taken against them,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Peasants and Workers Party legislator Jayant Patil, who lost in today’s election, left for Alibaug. “I got my twelve votes. They (Shiv Sena UBT) got the Congress votes. Some of the Congress votes were split. Don't want to talk anymore,” he said.