Mumbai: After the Congress’s worst-ever defeat in the Assembly elections, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has requested All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge to relieve him of the responsibility of the organisational post.
According to party sources, Patole wrote a letter to Kharge requesting him to dissolve the state executive, along with the appointment of a new executive, so that the Congress can be strengthened once again in the state.
The Congress, a key partner in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, contested 101 seats but managed to win 16 only, a historic low for the party in the state, once considered its stronghold. Many senior Congress leaders, such as former minister Balasaheb Thorat and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, failed to retain their constituencies.
Although Patole managed to retain his Sakoli assembly seat in Bhandara district, it was by a razor-thin margin of just 208 votes.
In his letter to Kharge, Patole stated that while the Congress achieved notable success in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the results of the Assembly elections were disappointing.
Taking full responsibility for the outcome, Patole has requested to step down from his position as Maharashtra Congress president. He assured that he remains committed to serving the party as a dedicated member in the future. Meanwhile, Patole has not commented on the news regarding the email he reportedly sent to Kharge.
Chennithala to meet candidates
To address the results of the Assembly elections, Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala will hold one-on-one discussions with all 101 Congress candidates in Nagpur on December 17.
The winter session of the state legislature begins in Nagpur on December 16, ensuring that all MLAs will already be present in the city. Hence, all Congress candidates who contested the election have been invited to Nagpur for these discussions.
