Rift in Maharashtra Congress over ‘little known face’ at helm, Prithviraj Chavan ‘surprised’

Senior Congress leaders like former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Satej Patil and Vishwajeet Kadam have found it difficult to accept the point that the Congress high command could not zero in on aggressive leader who could revive and revitalise the crestfallen party’s rank and file, party sources said.

Sapkal, a former MLA from Buldhana from 2014 to 2019, has not made his presence felt on Maharashtra’s political terrain where the Congress has been struggling to keep its flock together. “In the last five years no one heard a word from Sapkal. When the party was in power for two and half years as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Sapkal was nowhere to be seen. And when the MVA was brought down by BJP, Sapkal did not rush forward to keep the party’s morale high,” said a Congress leader.

Sapkal has replaced Nana Patole whose fraught relations with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP had dented the Congress’s image in the state.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Prithviraj Chavan said though he was approached by the Congress leadership to lead the party, but he felt the younger lot of leaders should take the charge. “I was surprised when Sapkal’s name was announced as MPCC chief. Because his name was not even in discussion. I though 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 said Sapkal will have his job cut out vis-a-vis the party as well as the 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.” Chavan added.

Though his close associates said he was “upset”, Satej Patil, Congress’s Kolhapur district president, denied he was miffed over not being appointed the MPCC president. “The party has made the right decision. Sapkal is an organisational man. He has the necessary skill to keep the party network together and running. 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. He has worked as an MLA and zila parishad president. He is approachable and accessible to all. He comes to party office at 9 am and is available till late evening.”

Satej Patil said he has been getting calls from across Maharashtra from leaders and party workers. ”Everyone is asking me why I did not take up the post. Actually, four years is too long for me. If it was for two years, I would have taken it up,” he said.

Patil said the priority of the day was to revive the party in Maharashtra. ”Even if Sapkal concentrates on creating a cadre, visits different districts and resolves differences among party leaders, it would help the party a great deal in reviving itself.”

Praising the BJP’s Chandrakant Patil, Satej Patil said, “When Chandrakant Patil was the BJP president, he devoted his time and energy to build the party and was always available to party leaders and workers. He sometimes made controversial statements which drew sharp reactions, but when it came to slogging for the party, he was right up front. He kept the party united. I saw him interacting with party workers till wee hours of the morning. Sometimes low profile leaders also achieve great heights. And therefore we are hoping Sapkal will help turn around the fortunes of the party.”

Vishwajeet Kadam, Congress MLA from Sangli said, “I am not upset… I was not in the race for the MPCC president’s post.”

When asked about the reasons behind Sapkal’s appointment, Kadam said,”You should better ask the party.’

Another Congress leader Sachin Sawant said, “Sapkal has been in the party for years. He was NSUI president. Congress leadership must have thought about this from all angles before appointing him. I think it is a good decision that a party worker has risen from the ranks to head the party.”

State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “The party has made the right choice. Sapkal has been a party loyalist and has good organisational skills. He is also vice-president of the party’s Panchayati Raj Sanghatan.”