Maharashtra Congress will get new president soon. After the feud between its senior leader Balasaheb Thorat and state chief Nana Patole gone public, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed party's senior leader from Kerala Ramesh Chennithala 'to assess' the situation.
Sources from All India Congress Committee are informing that Chennithala is given task to find suitable candidates for state chief post after talking to all senior leaders and factions. The decision regarding this will be taken after party's plenary session in Raipur, Chhatisgarh from February 24th to 26th.
Controversy over party ticket to Dr Sudhir Tambe
After controversy over party ticket to Dr Sudhir Tambe - brother in law of Balasaheb Thorat for legislative council, the in-fight between Maharashtra Congress came to public eye. Instead of Dr Thambe, his sone and nephew of Thorat Satyajit Tambe contested the election as an independent candidate. After the election, Thorat sent his resignation as leader of legislative party to party chief Kharge. Sources told that general secretary KC Venugopal had assured Thorat that party will look into his grievances and requested to take back the resignation.
Meanwhile not just Thorat but other leaders have also expressed reservations about working style of Nana Patole. These leaders are from all the regions as well as groups. Therefore, national leadership has taken decision to send Ramesh Chennithala to Maharashtra to gauge the mood of the leaders.
All factions are against Nana Patole
"Apart from his small tiny group, all factions are against Nana Patole. Leaders from Vidarbha to Western Maharashtra have already made complaints to Congress president that Nana is trying to ignore all the leaders while taking decisions. This will be told to Chennithala over his visit," told former cabinet minister and senior MLA of party.
Chennithala will check the possibility of new names and try to find a candidate with support from all the groups. As of now three names are in race. Former cabinet minister Yashomati Thakur, Sunil Kedar and minister of state Satej Patil. Out of those, Yashomati is having good rapport with Balasaheb Thorat as well as Ashok Chavan too. These two are having sizable chunks of leaders with them. Kedar has delivered time and again in home turf of Devendra Fadnavis i.e. Nagpur. He helped to win graduate as well as teachers constituencies, got back market committee as well as Nagpur Zilla Parishad. Satej Patil, who hails from Kolhapur is very popular among party workers as he has been winning every single election against BJP since 2015.
Chennithala had old connection with Maharashtra Congress. He was in charge of Maharashtra youth Congress back in late 90's. Leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakare were active in youth Congress at the time. Chennithala have sense and has been in touch with many Maharashtra leaders since. Therefore, it is all possibility that he could succeed to bring consensus candidate for state president post. He is sent to check the possibility of it.
