Who is Nana Patole and why he has been chosen as Maharashtra Congress chief?
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Mumbai, Feb 6: A day after Nana Patole stepped down as Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker, he was appointed the President of Maharashtra Congress Pradesh Committee (MPCC) on Friday.
As earlier reported, the 57-year-old four-term MLA from Sakoli in Bhandara district replaces Balasaheb Thorat, who helmed state Congress for 18 months and is presently Maharashtra's revenue minister.
The party also announced the names of six working presidents and 10 vice presidents for Maharashtra. Congress in a release said former ministers Shivajirao Moghe, Chandrakant Handore, Arif Naseem Khan, Basavraj Patil, and young MLAs Kunal Rohidas Patil and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde are appointed as the new working presidents of MPCC.
The All India Congress Committee has also appointed 10 new vice-presidents in Maharashtra including- Shirish Madhukarrao Chaoudhari, Ramesh Ananda Rao Bagwe, Husain Dalwai, Mohan Joshi, Ranjit Pratap Kamble, Kailash Krishnaro Gorantyal, BI Nagarale, Sharad Aher, MM Shaik and Manik Motiram Jagtap.
Congress has also made the changes in the parliamentary board in the state, and the new board consists of 37 members including-current MPCC president Nana Patole, outgoing president Balasaheb Thorat, former chief ministers of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, and former cabinet ministers Milind Deora, Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, among others.
"Party appreciates the contribution of outgoing PCC President Balasaheb Thorat and outgoing Working Presidents and Vice Presidents," Congress said.
On February 4, Patole handed over his resignation to the deputy speaker Narahari Zirwal.
Who is this new President?
This development of 57-year-old Patole getting elected as President will definitely create some tensions among the three-allied party - Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). It will add some spice to the leadership of the Maharashtra Congress.
Patole is a four-time MLA who made his electoral debut in 1999 on a Congress ticket in the Maharashtra Assembly. He, however, then switched to the BJP in 2009. In 2014, fighting on a BJP ticket, he defeated former union minister Praful Patel in Gondia.
Again, in December 2017, he returned back to Congress after he had created a ruckus within BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, he had unsuccessfully contested against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Subsequently, he went on to win from the Sakoli Assembly Constituency in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections on a Congress ticket.
What does this mean for MVA?
It should be noted that the NCP and Shiv Sena did not come into picture before Patole’s resignation. The development also comes at a time that will necessitate a fresh election for the Assembly Speaker’s post ahead of the crucial budget session of the state legislature will be taking place.
Though the post-poll coalition holds the majority in the House, the BJP is the single largest party in the legislature. The MVA might fear that the speaker’s election will once again create scope for the BJP to destabilize the government. The Sena and NCP have also dropped indications that they could claim a stake in the speaker’s post.
“The Speaker’s post is that of the alliance. Patole has conveyed to all of us that he has stepped down for his party. He has decided to take on party responsibilities. This is between him and the Congress.” NCP chief Sharad Pawar had said in response to a question on who could be the next speaker.