The Congress, perhaps for the first time, created a “margdarshak mandal (advisory council)” for the Maharashtra Congress by reconstituting the PCC after over 12 months.
The Congress, perhaps for the first time, created a “margdarshak mandal (advisory council)” for the Maharashtra Congress by reconstituting the PCC after over 12 months.
State Congress chief Ashok Chavan got the team with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi approving 19 vice-presidents, over 65 general secretaries, 60 secretaries, 10 spokespersons and over 60 executive members, besides a treasurer.
The “jumbo” team, consisting of known faces, is expected to revive the Congress after its debacle in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly polls.
The experiment of margdarshak mandal was started by the BJP under the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team for its senior leaders, seen as “senior citizens” of the saffron party.
The Maharashtra Congress created a 15-member advisory council consisting of former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nailnagekar, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Devisingh Shekhawat (husband of former President Pratibha Patil), former Union minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, former PCC chiefs Prataprao Bhosale, Shivajirao Deshmukh and N.M. Kamble.
The announcement of the new team could stop speculation of Mr Ashok Chavan’s replacement against the backdrop of the Adarsh housing scam. He got the team ahead of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation polls and the local body elections with a calculation that he would defeat the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine and check the NCP.
MPs Hussain Dalwai and Rajni Patil figure in the list of vice-presidents along with Dr Ratnakar Mahajan, Ulhas Pawar, Chandrakant Handore and MRCC chief Sanjay Nirupam (ex-officio member).
Among the new general secretaries are Mohan Joshi, Amit Deshmukh, Nilesh Rane, Shailesh S. Patil, Ashok Patil Nileangekar, Ganesh Patil and Arun Mugdia.
Anant Gadgil, Ulhas Pawar, Dr Ratnakar Mahajan, Sachin Sawant, Harish Rogye, Ashok Jagtap, Rju Waghmare, Neela Limaye and Hemlata Patil are the Congress’ faces in the media who would fight the battle of perception against the BJP, Shiv Sena and others.
