Nagpur: Only four leaders of Congress from Vidarbha have been included in Congress Working Committee (CWC) declared by All India Congress Committee (AICC). The leaders include Avinash Pandey, Manikrao Thakre, Mukul Wasnik and Yashomati Thakur.
Surprisingly, the party top brass did not include Vidarbha’s stalwarts, the likes of former ministers Dr Nitin Raut and Sunil Kedar. This is seen as another blow to Dr Raut. Earlier also, he was not continued as President of All India Cell of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes despite his closeness with Secretary K CVenugopal and President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Gold Rate
Saturday 22 March 2025
Former Minister and Maharashtra leader Chandrakant Handore is the only one from Maharashtra who is included in the list of Permanent Invitees of AICC. In MLC polls it was alleged that some Congress leaders lobbied for Bhai Jagtap because of which Handore could not win the seat. Giving a place in AICC to Handore was a little effort by Congress to console him.
Congress High Command recognised the services of Avinash Pandey who is doing fantastic work as Jharkhand in-charge and has been made member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) along with Mukul Wasnik, another Vidarbhaite. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan too has got the place in CWC. Former State Congress President and leader from Yavatmal Manikrao Thakre has been made In-charge. Former Minister Yashomati Thakur who represents Tiosa constituency is given a place in the list of Special Invitees along with Praniti Shinde. These are the only two women and leaders from Maharashtra who have been made Special Invitees.
According to media reports, Nitin Raut and Sunil Kedar had some conflict that reached Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Fed up by the complaints, Kharge decided not to include both leaders. This decision is being termed as a blow to Dr Raut. Despite the fact that Kharge has increased the number of members of the committee from 25 to 39, he showed courage to exclude Dr Raut. The strained relations of Kedar with Mukul Wasnik resulted in exclusion of the former in CWC.
