News Analysis India

Tag: Balasahab Thorat

  • Maharashtra Speaker Nana Patole leads race to replace Balasahab Thorat

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Nana Patole has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for Congress’ state presidentship. Patole, along with Vijay Wadettiwar and Nitin Raut, is touted to be young blood the high command is considering to infuse purpose in the state unit, which is increasingly losing ground in Maharashtra. 

    The race began after Sonia Gandhi decided to address the party’s waning fortunes, which coincides with an uptick in Nationalist Congress Party’s standing (NCP), under the incumbent Balasahab Thorat. The Congress seeks stay in the reckoning for the upcoming municipal corporation elections by installing a younger leadership. Sonia Gandhi had deputed Maharashtra H K Patil to consult the elected representatives and prominent leaders, and submit a report.

    While a majority of elected representatives back Thorat, Patole’s proximity to Rahul Gandhi might see him through, highly-placed sources party said. Patole’s aggressive style was noticed when he campaigned for Rahul in Wayanad in the last Lok Sabha election, and offered a spirited resistance to Nitin Gadkari during the 2019 hustings.

    “Patole is the first choice. High command, particularly Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal, are in favour of Patole, who is also an OBC,” sources added. Vijay Wadettiwar, also an OBC leader, is a minister. Wadettiwar is known for aggressive style. If the high command insists on a Dalit face, sources said, Energy Minister Nitin Raut could emerge as a dark horse in the race. 

  • Maharashtra: Rift in MVA govt as Congress, Sena spar over renaming of Aurangabad 

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra over the renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar has been widening.

    Despite state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat’s objections, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has been using Sambhaji Nagar for Aurangabad. 

    While both Congress and Shiv Sena have stuck to their respective political agenda, this difference has no threat to the government.

    Shiv Sena has decided to use Sambhaji Nagar even though the change of name has not been approved officially by the Maha Vikas Agahdi just to keep its vote bank happy. On the other hand, Congress is opposing the move though it is falling on the deaf ear.

    The difference between the parties surfaced after the CMO, in one of the tweets about cabinet decisions on last Wednesday, mentioned Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar. The state Congress took objection to it.

    The tweet read: “Approval has been granted to additional 165 beds and creation of 360 new posts at the government medical college in Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad).” Congress leader and Minister for Medical Education Amit Deshmukh was tagged in the tweet. 

    Soon after Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat tweeted reiterating his party’s opposition to any attempts to change the name of the city.

    “The Directorate of Information and Publicity should not rename cities on its own. Renaming of cities is not on the common minimum Programme (CMP) of the MVA government,” Thorat said. The MVA government is committed to what is promised in the CMP, he said.

    “We want to reassert that we are opposed to renaming any city to ensure that social harmony prevails,” Thorat, who is also the state Revenue Minister, said.  “Chhatrapati Shambhaji Maharaj is our revered deity. The renaming politics in his name should be avoided. Let’s work together for Aurangabad’s development,” Thorat said. 

  • Maharashtra: Congress gets nervous of NCP’s ‘expansion plans’, hunts for new, aggressive state chief

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The NCP’s “expansion plan” in Maharashtra has made the Congress nervous. The Grand Old Party has now decided to replace the incumbent Maharashtra Congress president with someone who is more aggressive and takes on Opposition and alliance partners as well.

    According to the highly-placed sources in Congress, party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have expressed their displeasure over the mild stand and limited growth of the party in Maharashtra despite being in power.

    “NCP and the Congress share similar vote banks. The NCP is eating our traditional vote bank of Muslims and Dalits by reaching out to them and promoting their community leaders. On the contrary, the Congress has no plan to counter NCP’s growth. If this trend continues, the future of the Congress will be very bleak in Maharashtra, and in the next elections it will be thrown out of power as well,” said a senior Congress leader requesting anonymity.

    “Sonia Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders discussed this issue with state president Balasaheb Thorat and expressed disappointment over lack of growth in Maharashtra. They told Thorat that he can no longer be any help to the party. Following the meeting, Thorat offered to step down paving the way for someone young and dynamic,” said another top source in the party.

    Sonia Gandhi asked Maharashtra Congress observer HK Patil to go to Mumbai and consult the Maharashtra Congress leaders over the restructuring. Patil was in Mumbai to consult with the Congress ministers and MLAs. 

    “Patil got mixed reactions from the party leaders in Maharashtra on the decision of replacing Thorat. The people close to Thorat defended him while others were ready to accept the decision of the high command. Patil has been told to prepare the report and submit to Congress president for the final decision over replacing the incumbent Maharashtra Congress president,” added the source.

    While talking to The New Indian Express earlier, HK Patil confirmed that the party had decided to restructure the Congress in Maharashtra. Many names such as Speaker Nana Patole, minister Amit Deshmukh and Nitin Raut are making rounds for the next Maharashtra Congress president.