Maharashtra MP Patole, who was critical of Modi, quits BJP

New Delhi: Disgruntled BJP MP from Maharashtra Nana Patole, who some time back had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of functioning and had even been critical of the state government, on Friday said he has resigned from the party and the Lok Sabha.

Mr Patole has been a member of other parties, including the Congress, in the past. He had joined the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in which he defeated NCP heavyweight Praful Patel from Bhandara-Gondiya constituency.

He had denounced the BJP over a host of issues, including farmers’ distress some time back.

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, he cited 14 issues related to agriculture, economy and unemployment as reasons for his resignation.

Mr Patole alleged that he had time and again raised the issues with the Prime Mminister but they were ignored.

The lawmaker has been sulking for a while, especially after apparently being pulled up by Mr Modi during his meeting with MPs from the state.

According to sources, Mr. Patole had questioned the decision to set up an independent OBC ministry, which apparently didn’t go down well with Mr Modi.

Mr Patole, who has been highly critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership in recent months, said he had quit the Lok Sabha and the party since he was “deeply anguished and felt let down by the party”.

“The objectives with which I had joined the (BJP) party have been belied, but now (post-quitting) I am free of the turmoil in my mind,” he told mediapersons shortly after submitting his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

He said he had not made up his mind on which party to join but would consider throwing his lot with “some like-minded” political outfit.

Mr Patole had stirred the hornet’s nest in September when he told a public function that Narendra Modi doesn’t like to be questioned and criticised.