Making a serious charge, Congress leader Ashish Deshmukh has alleged that state party president Nana Patole has been receiving a ‘khoka’ (Rs 1 crore) per month to not attack Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The allegation came on Tuesday even as the party’s decision to suspend Deshmukh for his previous ‘anti-party’ statements is expected any day. He had suggested that Rahul Gandhi should apologise to OBCs if his remarks had hurt the community. Deshmukh said the party had asked him to apologise for the statement, but he refused, because his suggestion was for the party’s good.

Media also blamed

“Patole does not say a word against CM Shinde, but consistently attacks Fadnavis and BJP. He receives a khoka every month. One may confirm it from Mumbai’s media circle who delivers it to Patole,” said Deshmukh, who was elected as BJP legislator from Katol in 2014 after beating his uncle Anil Deshmukh, but returned to the Congress fold. In 2019, he lost to the then CM Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur.