News Analysis India

Tag: Maharashtra Congress

  • Maharashtra Congress forced to defer naming president

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Congress has put on hold announcing the name of the next president of its Maharashtra unit. It was more or less confirmed that the post would go to Maharashtra state assembly speaker Nana Patole (in pic).

    But it is learnt that the decision was deferred following Patole’s demand that he be made a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

    The central leadership of Congress had decided to replace incumbent Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat with Patole, considering that he could devote more time and energy in expanding the party base. It was said in certain quarters that since Thorat is the Legislative Party leader in the assembly, revenue minister and state party president, he was unable to do justice to his role in the state unit. With the NCP and Shiv Sena aggressively expanding their reach, the Congress leadership felt they were falling behind.

    According to Congress sources, Patole’s promotion to the president’s post was finalised and the file was also signed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. “But Patole demanded that along with the Maharashtra Congress president’s responsibility, he should be also made the minister of energy or public works department.

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    However, this demand has surprised the Congress president and she refused to give him the go ahead. That has resulted in a delay in announcing the new president,” said a well-placed source requesting anonymity.

    Another source said that the party high command wanted the new state president to concentrate solely on that role. “The centre leadership wanted someone who wouldn’t have other responsibilities and focus fully on party work. But Patole suddenly added another demand that surprised the high command, which decided against taking a decision right now.”Maharashtra Congress observer HK Patil was assigned the task for finding the new president. He held one-on-one talks with all Congress MLAs to understand their viewpoints. Patil and Patole were not available for comment.

  • Call for high-level probe in TRP scam

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Congress on Friday demanded a high-level probe into the purported WhatsApp chats between Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami and BARC ex-CEO Parth Dasgupta. These chats formed a part of the 3,400-page additional chargesheet submitted by the Mumbai police on Monday last, but surfaced in the public domain on Friday.

    Speaking to TNIE, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the chats between Goswami and Dasgupta clearly showed that government machinery was used to suppress the TRP scam.“When Mumbai police were probing the scam, several shocking details had emerged.

    However, to suppress the probe, a separate case was registered in Uttar Pradesh and later it was handed to the Enforcement Directorate. This was nothing, but an attempt to control the probe, where the role of BJP leaders was exposed,” Sawant said.

    Sawant said that the TRP and government system were rigged to misguide people and exploit advertisers. “Arnab repeatedly claims that he is close to PMO, AS, and Union ministers. The BJP should clarify who this AS is,” Sawant demanded.

    Republic TV counsel wants ed involvementIn the Bombay HC, Republic TV counsel Harish Salve argued that the TRP scam probe should be handed over to the ED. However, senior advocate Kapil Sibal opposed it claiming ED had no locus 

  • 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. 

  • Is using Sambhaji Maharaj’s name crime, asks Sanjay Raut on renaming row

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Days after the Congress objected to Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) mentioning Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar in a tweet, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday asked whether using the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in government documents a crime.

    The Shiv Sena, which currently shares power with the Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra, has time and again demanded that Aurangabad in central part of the state be renamed as Sambhajinagar, after the elder son of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji.

    However, Maharashtra minister and state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat has been saying that his party would strongly oppose the move to rename Aurangabad.

    Two days back, the Maharashtra CMO, in one of the tweets about cabinet decisions, had mentioned the city as Sambhajinagar.

    However, Thorat had objected to it saying that the Directorate of Information and Publicity should not rename cities on its own and that it should remember that official work is a legal document.

    When asked about it, Raut told reporters in Nashik that a government functions in the name of chief minister.

    “Is using the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Shivaji Maharaj on government documents a crime? It is people’s sentiment and the government functions on the basis of people’s sentiments,” he said.

    Raut said Sambhajinagar was the name given to Aurangabad city by late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

    “It will remain that way,” he said.

    To a question on Congress’s argument that the renaming issue was not part of the common minimum programme (CMP) of the three parties, Raut said the CMP is meant to ensure the welfare of the people.

    “The CMP does not say people’s wishes shouldn’t be accepted,” he said.

    Aurangabad, once the headquarters of the Dakkhan (Deccan) province in Mughal empire, derives its name from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

    Replying to questions on the upcoming local bodies elections, Raut said all the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies were trying to find a common ground to contest the local elections together.

    “We may succeed in some places to fight unitedly,” he said.

    The Sena leader also criticised the delay in approving the names of 12 candidates for their nomination to the state Legislative Council by Governor B S Koshyari from his quota.

    “Constitutional values should be upheld by those holding constitutional posts.

    The Constitution clearly mentions that it is mandatory to accept the recommendation regarding the names submitted by the cabinet,” he said.

    “Make it clear first whether you want to keep the issue pending till you topple the MVA dispensation and get a government of your choice,” he said.

    When asked whether he was referring to the governor or the BJP, Raut said, “It is up to you. I have said what I wanted to.”

     

  • Congress keeps Balasaheb Thorat out of loop as observer rushes to find successor

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: A day after Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat called on Sonia Gandhi to complain about interference from Delhi, the central leadership has decided to convene a one-on-one meeting of MLAs with the party observer on Wednesday. Sources said that Thorat has not been kept in the loop about the meeting, which aims to draw the views of MLAs and senior leaders on the new chief for the Maharashtra unit. 

    According to a highly-placed source, Congress observer for Maharashtra H K Patil would be in Mumbai on Wednesday to meet MLAs and prominent leaders and get their views on the new president for the state unit. “Thorat or his office  have not been kept in the loop. The meeting has been arranged by a third party such that Patil can get an unbiased view and report it to the Congress high command,” the source said. Patil is likely to discuss various issues with district presidents through various media options.

    “We have planned a voting through the in-house Shakti App. The one getting the highest number of votes will be elected the new president, provided the high command sanctions it. First past the post is not a guarantee of leadership, as the approval has to come from prominent leaders and the high command.

    The process will be as confidential as it was during the election of Mumbai Congress president,” the source said. Maharashtra Congress president Thorat has expressed his willingness to step down to pave the way for young leaders. Names of several leaders like State Assembly Speaker Nana Patole, Energy Minister Nitin Raut, Sunil Kedar, among others, are doing the rounds.

    Thorat was holding three crucial positions — Legislative Leader in State assembly, Revenue Minister and party president — and has apparently bowed to the one-person one-post demand. Sources said that owing to the heavy work burden, he was unable to do justice to the party affairs, a claim contested by his supporters.

  • Balasaheb Thorat meets Sonia Gandhi, offers to resign

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday and reportedly offered to resign over continuous interference from Delhi leaders and a lack of freedom to run the party. Thorat holds three crucial positions – Legislative Party leader in the Assembly, Revenue Minister, and the State party president – in Maharashtra Congress and the Thackeray government.

    While Thorat was not available for comments, Maharashtra Congress in-charge H K Patil told TNIE that he too had learnt about the resignation, adding that the Congress has decided to restructure the Maharashtra unit to develop it into a strong political force.

    There were already calls for Thorat to be relieved of the Maharashtra party president post. Those backing Thorat said that the party had made much headway under him, especially in the last Assembly election.