Maharashtra Congress to conduct meet today

Mumbai: The Congress in Maharashtra has convened a meeting on Thursday to take stock of the reverses suffered by the party in the recently held Lok Sabha polls. Apart from the stock-taking, a resolution urging the party president Rahul Gandhi not to resign is likely to be passed at the meeting of the party candidates who had contested the elections, sources said Wednesday. The Congress is in turmoil since Mr Gandhi offered to step down owning up the responsibility for the poll debacle. He is reportedly firm on his decision although the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had passed a unanimous resolution turning down his resignation offer. The Congress won only one out total 24 seats it had contested in Maharashtra, its worst performance so far. The candidates of Congress’ ally Swabhimani Paksha also bit dust from Sangli and Hathkanangle constituencies. The Congress had polled only 16.27 per cent votes, a drop of 2.02 per cent from 2014 elections.

The only saving grace for the party was Balu alias Suresh Dhanorkar, who won from Chandrapur by defeating Union minister Hansraj Ahir of the BJP. After the debacle, the Congress, which is now reduced to the margins of the state politics, is trying to regain a toehold in the Assembly elections, due in October this year.

Meanwhile, party sources indicated that Vijay Waddetiwar, the deputy leader of the Congress in the state Legislative Assembly, is likely to replace Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. Vikhe Patil, whose son Sujay had joined the BJP in the run-up to the polls, stepped down from the post during campaigning. Sujay won his maiden election from Ahmednagar seat. The Vikhe Patil senior is likely to join the BJP soon.