MAHA FIGHT IN CONGRESS

For a party that was seen as lacking the spunk to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nana Patole's appointment as president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) in February 2021 was expected to pump some belligerence into the Grand Old Party's rank and file in the western state.

- Dhaval Kulkarni

Patole's aggression was his USP, along with his background as a leader of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Theoretically sound, the move did not translate particularly well into practice. Two years later, Patole's style of leadership is being called "authoritarian" by his detractors and has caused quite a churn within the state Congress.

The simmering discontent burst into the public domain when Congress Legislature Party (CLP) president Balasaheb Thorat stepped down from his position on February 7. Thorat is an eight-term MLA, a former revenue minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, and a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). His move came after his nephew and former Maharashtra Youth Congress president Satyajeet Tambe rebelled against the party to contest the state legislative council polls as an independent from the Nashik graduates' constituency. Tambe alleged that powers that be in the MPCC were involved in machinations to deny him the party nomination. Thorat admitted that he was “vyathit” (upset or hurt). Though he did not take any names, it was clear he was referring to Patole. The BJP has extended an open invite to Thorat, but his old party colleagues call him a “legacy Congressman” and insist he will not leave the party. The party’s central leadership has also rejected Thorat’s resignation.