After the NCP's announcement regarding a major reshuffle in the party organisation, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) too is likely to have a new chief and CLP leader, party sources said. MPCC chief Nana Patole is facing severe opposition from within the party. Hence the party leadership is said to be in a mood to change the state leadership ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Local leaders to be replaced
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat is said to have told the party leadership that he is not willing to continue with the post. Hence, both the leaders on the state level are likely to be changed soon.
Party workers are in an exuberant mood after the Karnataka results. Confidence seems to have returned to the party. But, it also has a flip side in that the party workers have started expressing their resentment towards the local leaders openly. This is likely to go against Patole.
Questioning Patole's conduct
Also, a few months back Thorat had met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi and raised his concerns about Patole's conduct. Following it, leaders from Vidarbha like Vijay Vadertiwar, Sunil Kedar and Shivajirao Moghe too have been camping at Delhi with single point demand of Parole's ouster. This has led the party leadership to start looking for a popular alternative, sources said.
Former CM Chavan likely to replace Patole
Former CM Ashok Chavan, Council leader Satej Patil, Sunil Kedar and Yashomati Thakur are some of the forerunners who might replace Patole. Sources also said that the AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra, too, is likely to change.
The current in-charge HK Patil was elected as MLA in the Karnataka election recently. He is also likely to be inducted into the state cabinet. Against this backdrop, he is likely to resign from the organisational post and is likely to be replaced by Ramesh Chennithala from Kerala.
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