Taking potshots at allies, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has said that party workers should not react if anybody were to "backstab" them despite "being together", but turn the anger into strength. Patole, who created a flutter in the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance in the state recently by stating that his party will contest elections on its own in future, said he would not change his stand. He was speaking at a meeting of the district Congress committee at Lonavala on Friday evening. A video of his speech circulated on Saturday.

"I will not backtrack on my statement about contesting upcoming elections on our own, so get back to work. I told the press that even the chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) has directed the Shiv Sena workers to get going. When I said ( about going it alone), it was not liked, but when he said, it was all right," said Patole. Sources said that some local party office-bearers had complained to Patole that Pune district guardian minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar did not help them, and Congress workers were not being appointed to various committees in the district.