NEW DELHI: In a significant leadership change, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Harshwardhan Sapkal as the new chief of the party’s Maharashtra unit on Thursday. Sapkal takes over from Nana Patole, who had resigned following the party’s poor performance in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
“The Congress president has appointed Harshwardhan Sapkal as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect,” stated a release from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Kharge also approved the appointment of Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar as the new leader of the Congress Legislative Party in Maharashtra, signaling a clear shift in the party’s leadership structure in the state.
Sapkal, who previously served as an MLA from the Buldhana Assembly Constituency from 2014 to 2019, brings fresh leadership to the state unit. The AICC statement further appreciated the contributions of Nana Patole, the outgoing president, who had submitted his resignation after Congress’ disappointing showing in the Maharashtra assembly elections. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which Congress was a part of, failed to form the government, losing out to the ruling NDA’s Mahayuti alliance.
This leadership change comes at a critical time as the Congress seeks to reassert itself in Maharashtra, where it has faced mounting challenges in the wake of its electoral losses. Sapkal’s appointment could mark the beginning of a new phase for the party as it strives to strengthen its position in the state’s political landscape.
