Cracks in Maharashtra Congress over Harshwardhan Sapkal getting top job? Prithviraj Chavan says ' He will have to deal with...'

Not all is well within the Congress ever since Harshwardhan Sapkal was appointed as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). Sapkal recently replaced Nana Patole at a time when the grand old party is going through its toughest phase in the state after its spectacular failure in the assembly polls. 

The Congress, which fought on 101 seats, could win on only 16 seats in the state assembly polls. Party's stalwarts Balasaheb Thorat and Prithviraj Chavan lost from the Sangamner and Karad South assembly seats by decisive margins respectively. 

The decision left senior Congress leaders divided, with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan claiming that though the party's leadership approached him, he felt the younger lot should on the responsibility of leading the party. 

Chavan said that he was surprised when Sapkal's name was announced since his name was not even in discussion. "I thought Kolhapur’s Satej Patil would lead the party in Maharashtra… We had suggested his name to the party leadership. It’s likely Satej Patil had refused to lead the party,” Chavan told The Indian Express. 

He further said that Harshwardhan Sapkal will have his job cut out with regards to the party as well as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).  “In MVA, he will have to deal with leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar,” he said.

“The party had to take a decision. If established leaders had refused to accept the role or have been defeated, then the party had little choice. The chapter is closed for us. We will now see how he works."

Meanwhile, Congress' Kolhapur district president Satej Patil called this a "right decision" and said that Sapkal has the required skills to keep the party together and running in the state. 

"We are no more a cadre-based party. This man has the ability to train cadres and prepare them for future challenges. He is a neutral man and has no baggage… He keeps a low profile."

Patil also mentioned that Sapkal has worked as an MLA and a zila parishad president, while adding that the latter is approachable and accessable to all. He said that it would help the Congress hugely if Sapkal concentrates on creating a cadre, visits different districts and resolves friction among party leaders.