Nagpur: Days after the Congress suffered its worst-ever defeat in Assembly polls in Maharashtra, its State unit President Nana Patole has requested the central leadership to relieve him of the responsibility of the organisational post, media reports said on Friday.
The reports said Patole has emailed a letter to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, telling him he wants to be relieved from the post of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief.
“As a party worker, I assure you that I will fulfil any responsibility entrusted to me by the party with utmost dedication and sincerity,” Patole said in a letter to Kharge.
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Patole said the Congress achieved remarkable success in the Lok Sabha election held six months ago by winning 14 Lok Sabha seats in the State, better than any other party. Prior to the Lok Sabha election, the party performed impressively in the Assembly bye-elections and Legislative Council elections.
In the Assembly election, on the basis of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress was expecting to sweep the polls. It estimated that the MVA would win at least 180 of the 288 seats. It won only 47 seats, while the Mahayuti won 237 seats.
The Congress, a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), contested 101 Assembly seats in Maharashtra and won only 16, logging its worst-ever performance in its one-time bastion. Several of its top leaders in the state failed to retain their Assembly constituencies.
Patole himself retained his Sakoli Assembly constituency in Bhandara district by just 208 votes.
Wadettiwar blames Patole for poll debacle
Meanwhile, former Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar on Friday pinned the blame on State Congress President Nana Patole for the party’s defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Known for his sharp political insights, Wadettiwar contended that while the state leadership took credit for the victory in Lok Sabha elections, the responsibility for the subsequent loss in the Assembly elections lies with the same leadership.
Talking to reporters in Nagpur, the Bramhapuri MLA said, “The State President took credit for the victory in general elections, but the failure in Assembly elections cannot be overlooked. The responsibility for both victory and defeat lie with the party president. This is the natural course of political accountability.”
Wadettiwar’s comments come ahead of a critical meeting between the party’s top brass, including Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, who is set to visit Nagpur on December 17 to discuss the party’s strategy moving forward. He suggested discussions should focus on evaluating leadership and charting a course for future elections, considering the party’s dependency on 16 remaining Congress MLAs. He emphasised that finding the right leader and uniting the faction would be key to the party’s revival.
Wadettiwar also touched upon the growing political rift within Shiv Sena. He acknowledged Sena’s right to contest local elections independently, but reiterated the need for Congress to stand united, particularly in the face of challenges within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. “We are ready to fight elections together as an alliance. Once there’s clarity on the stand of MP Sanjay Raut, we will decide on the next steps,” he remarked.
