After Nana Patole survives road crash, Congress seeks tighter security for its bigwigs (Lead)

Worried after a potentially fatal road accident in which Congress state President Nana F. Patole escaped unhurt, the Maharashtra Congress has demanded enhanced security cover for its important leaders, here on Wednesday.

Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe has written to the Director-General of Police Rashmi Shukla, the Election Commission of India seeking a probe into the matter to ascertain whether it was a ‘conspiracy’ to eliminate Patole.

He also urged the DGP and ECI to arrange for tight security for important Congress bigwigs like the Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress Legislative Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan and others after last night’s incident created huge concerns among the party leaders and workers.

The ruling MahaYuti government also took note of the mishap with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis calling up Patole to enquire after his wellbeing and Minister Shambhuraj Desai assuring that the incident would be probed fully.

Late on Tuesday, Patole’s car was badly crushed after it was hit by a speeding truck when he was returning to his base camp after addressing an election campaign rally in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency.

Patole said that the rashly driven, hurtling truck tried to overtake his car which swerved to avoid it near Bhilewada, en route to Sukli village after completing his poll meeting at Ganeshpur earlier.

Despite frantic efforts by Patole’s driver to avoid a collision, the truck managed to graze it and the car was virtually forced off the road before it ground to a halt in the darkness.

Though Patole, his colleagues and the driver emerged unscathed from the car, the vehicle was badly damaged and rendered unroadworthy.

Later this morning, Patole, appearing a tad shaken by the accident, said the local police rushed to the spot, carried out a panchnama, seized the truck and launched a probe.

However, he expressed doubts about whether this was a genuine accident or a conspiracy but said the police investigations would unravel the truth, though it was not clear whether the trucker was inebriated or had dozed off at the wheel.

“We have lodged a police complaint to ascertain whether it was a plot of some kind and demanded a probe… There were no casualties in the crash,” said Patole, who resumed his scheduled election programs today in other regions of the constituency.