Congress elevates Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil's rival as north Maha head

Mumbai: With Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil resigning from the post of Leader of the Opposition, the state Congress unit has elevated his archrival from Ahmednagar district, Balasaheb Thorat, as the party’s leader in the north Maharashtra region. The party has formed various committees to take stock of the drought in respective regions.

Mr Thorat has been entrusted with the responsibility of north Maharashtra. Mr Vikhe-Patil had already declared that he would take a call about his future after announcement of the general election results.

Beginning Monday, a group of Congress leaders under the leadership of Mr Thorat has been touring the drought-affected areas of north Maharashtra. Whereas Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar has been entrusted with the responsibility of Vidarbha. A committee has been formed under the leadership of Mr Wadettiwar, which has been touring the Vidarbha region.

A group of party men under the leadership of Basavraj Patil and Madhukar Chavhan will tour the Marathwada region which has been severely hit by drought.

While the committee led by former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan will visit the drought-affected areas of western Maharashtra.

An office-bearer of the party said that the committees will visit cattle camps and hold discussions with farmers in their farmlands apart from taking stock of the water supply in the district.

He said that all the committees would submit their reports to party president Ashok Chavan by next week.

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat told The Asian Age that the BJP led government should have taken mitigation measures two months ago as they knew that the model code of conduct would be in place in March, April and May for general election. But the government did not pay attention to the drought situation resulting in the water crisis in villages which forced people to migrate.

Sources in the Congress party said that Mr Vikhe-Patil had made up his mind to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He had met BJP leader and water resources minister Girish Mahajan on Monday.

However, a close aide claimed that the meeting was not political but personal.