MUMBAI, May 10: Congress President Sitaram Kesri today sacked controversial State Youth Congress President Jeetendra Awhad for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore land scandal. Party legislator from Nagpur, Anees Ahmad, who was vice-president of the State Youth Congress has been appointed acting president in place of Awhad.

Awhad's removal came two days after he and four others were arrested in connection with the land scam involving alleged misappropriation of 174 acres of saline government land in neighbouring Thane district, including doctoring of documents for its development into real estate.

From the day Awhad, a close supporter of senior Congress leader Sharad Pawar, was appointed in place of Sunil Deshmukh as State Youth Congress chief, he has been facing strong opposition from within the party.

Though an official announcement was made by All India Youth Congress President Satyajeet Gaikwad, it was immediately stayed by Kesri after a section of party workers from the State lodged a complaint against him. The charge against Awhad was that he had not been cleared of criminal charges in some of the cases filed against him.

Subsequently, the appointment was cleared only after Pawar personally took up Awhad's case with Kesri. Duyring his brief tenure, Awhad had not constituted the committee except the appointment of Ketan Shah as general secretary and State Youth Congress spokesman.

Senior party leaders have expressed surprise over the sacking of Awhad. The party has shown extra hurry in taking stringent action against Awhad, while no action has been taken against several All India Congress Commiteee (AICC) activists despite the fact that they were facing more serious charges, they said. ``He should have been given the opportunity to present his case before the court as well as the party high command,'' a senior office bearer of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) remarked.

Meanwhile, MPCC vice-president Kripa Shankar Singh today said that the MPCC has expelled six corporators of the Thane Municipal Corporation from the party for six years. He said Subhash Bhoir, Ashok Raul (former Mayor), Kaveri Patil, Deoram Bhoir, R Thakur have been expelled from the party for six years for anti-party activities. Senior party MLC Vasant Davkhare has been issued a show-cause notice for the same reasons, Singh told The Indian Express.

Singh said during the recent election for nomination to the TMC, these party workers acted against Subhash Kanade, who was the official nominee. Kanade was badly mauled in the election despite sufficient strength of the Congress, Singh pointed out.

However, the expulsion of the six corporators has taken party members in Thane by surprise.

MPCC general secretary Gurunath Kulkarni told The Indian Express a couple of weeks ago that the party would not act in haste on the issue and see to it that those corporators who had betrayed the party in the last civic elections would be taught a befitting lesson. When asked whether they would be expelled, he had said that they would be permanently disqualified.

However, the party had no option as the petition filed by it in the High Court and before the Konkan divisional commissioner seeking action on the rebel corporators was dismissed.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.