Following Ashok Chavan’s departure, the Congress party is relying on these five leaders in Maharashtra
In addition to Ashok Chavan, the Congress party has experienced the departure of both Milind Deora and Baba Siddique in recent times.
The resignation of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan from the Congress has dealt a significant setback to the grand old party’s strategies for the forthcoming 2024 election. Speculation is abundant that he will join the Bharatiya Janata Party today, following his statement yesterday that he will reveal his intentions within 48 hours.
Apart from Chavan, the Congress has faced the simultaneous departure of Milind Deora and Baba Siddique in recent times. As it prepares for the Lok Sabha elections alongside allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction under the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, the Congress is now relying on these prominent leaders to mount a strong challenge against the saffron alliance in Maharashtra, which holds 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Prithviraj Chavan assumed the position of Maharashtra chief minister following the resignation of Ashok Chavan, who stepped down amidst allegations related to the Adarsh Housing Society scandal. Prior to his role as chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan had also served as a Union minister in the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.
Balasaheb Thorat presently holds the position of Congress Legislative Party leader in the Maharashtra assembly. Thorat previously served as the revenue minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray, which governed the state from 2019 to 2022. Having graduated from Fergusson College in Pune, he has secured victory in eight assembly elections throughout his political tenure.
Nana Patole, a four-term legislator representing Bhandara, previously held the position of Maharashtra assembly speaker. Patole switched allegiance to the BJP and emerged victorious against NCP heavyweight Praful Patel in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He rejoined the Congress in 2017 and was appointed as the chief of the party’s farmers’ wing. Patole secured his fourth term as an assembly member in 2019 and subsequently assumed the role of Speaker.
Vijay Wadettiwar has been serving as the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra assembly since 2023. Hailing from the Chandrapur district in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, Wadettiwar has represented the Chimur assembly constituency for two terms. His political journey commenced as an activist with the National Student Union of India (NSUI). Subsequently, he became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) after joining Shiv Sena. However, in 2005, he parted ways with the party along with former chief minister Narayan Rane to join the Congress.
Varsha Gaikwad, a four-time legislator representing Dharavi, holds the distinction of being the first female president of Mumbai Congress. Gaikwad succeeded Bhai Jagtap, who led the unit from 2020. Beginning her political career in 2004, she has served as a minister in both the Congress-NCP government and the MVA government.
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