Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has passed a resolution authorising Congress president Sonia Gandhi to select presidents of both the state and Mumbai units. The resolution was passed at a meeting of the party office bearers who were elected during the recent organisation election.
Following differences among factions within the Maharashtra and Mumbai units, nominations were not filed till the last day, today. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan took a guarded stand by not showing his preference for any candidate and preferred to go by the decision of the party high command.
However, the anti-Chavan camp led by former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh insisted that elections be held for the coveted post in the state unit and said people were opposed to the incumbent Manikrao Thakre. He also said Mumbai unit chief Kripa Shankar Singh needs to be replaced.
A state party functionary, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard: “The anti-Chavan camp indicated that they would support state forest minister Patangrao Kadam and former MP Ram Thakur. Besides, they may think on extending support to other aspirants, including party legislator Ulhas Pawar, former minister Surupsinh Naik and former MP Uttamsingh Pawar. They were categorical in their stand that the sitting president Manikrao Thakre be replaced.”
The same group batted for former minister Chandrakant Handore as the Mumbai unit president, while another faction demanded party MP Eknath Gaikwad for the post.