Nana Patole Denies Stepping Down As Maharashtra Congress Chief After Assembly Poll Drubbing

Last Updated:November 25, 2024, 15:48 IST

Multiple reports claimed that Nana Patole resigned as the Maharashtra Congress chief following party’s poor show in the elections.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole (PTI Image)

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday junked the claims that he has stepped down from the Maharashtra Congress’ top post following the party’s decimation in the assembly polls.

“I am going to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, I have not given my resignation,” Patole said, hours after multiple reports surfaced claiming of his resignation.

Several media reports claimed that following the crushing defeat of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, Nana Patole offered to resign as Congress state president, taking moral responsibility for the poll loss.

The BJP-led Mahayuti, which includes Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s NCP, swept the western state securing 230 out of 288 assembly seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) collapsed and settled at 46 seats.

The grand old party posted its worst-ever show in Maharashtra election, its tally dropping from 44 in the last election to 16 out of the 103 seats it contested this time. Patole, who contested from the Sakoli seat, narrowly retained his position with a margin of mere 208 votes—the smallest margin of his political career.

Congress’s disappointing performance in Maharashtra Assembly polls starkly contrasts with the Lok Sabha Elections, where the grand old party received an overwhelming response in the state. The party had won 13 out of 17 seats it contested. Scoring the highest among all MVA allies in the parliamentary polls, the Congress under Patole had bargained hard during seat-sharing talks ahead of the Assembly election.

(With inputs from agencies)