Maharashtra Congress to have a new chief soon: Patole

Nagpur: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said the party’s state unit will soon have a new chief as he has asked their central leadership to relieve him of the post.

Patole was speaking to reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur, where the Winter Session of the state legislature is underway.

He said a decision on the new Maharashtra Congress chief will be taken soon. “We have authorised the party’s central leadership to name the new leader,” he said.

Patole said he has asked the party high command to relieve him as the state Congress chief since he has been holding the post for four years.

He said their legislature party leader would also be named soon.

Following the Congress’ worst-ever defeat in the assembly elections in Maharashtra, party sources had earlier claimed that Patole had requested the central leadership to relieve him of the responsibility of the organisational post.

Patole, however, had clarified last week that he had not tendered resignation and rumours were being spread.

In the recently held assembly polls, the ruling Mahayuti registered a resounding victory and retained power in the state, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered a drubbing, winning 46 seats, of which Congress managed just 16 seats.

Patole retained his Sakoli seat with a margin of just 208 votes.