Infighting in Congress over Prithviraj Chavan as leader of party in House

On the eve of the Congress legislature party meeting to elect its leader in the House, former minister Abdul Sattar openly opposed the name of former CM Prithviraj Chavan, saying that more than 30 MLAs are also opposed to it.

Blaming the former CM for the party's defeat in the assembly elections, Sattar said most of the MLAs are against Prithviraj Chavan. He said that after such a dismal performance, the party needs a leader like Ashok Chavan as Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president as the former CM lacked the aggression that the leader of the party in the House must have.

MPCC president Manikrao Thakare rubbished Sattar's objection and said that no Congress leader should approach the media. He said that the legislature party meeting would elect its leader with unanimity.

Backing Chavan, Thakare said, "Once Chavan, me and Mohan Prakash have accepted the responibsility of the party's defeat in the assembly elections, other leaders should not run to the media expressing their views." When media persons asked about senior leader Narayan Rane's allegations that it was because of Prithviraj Chavan that the party fund did not reach candidates all over the state, Thakare said, "I can only say that leaders should avoid going to media and give statements hurting the party's interests."

After the news reports by one of the TV channels about Rs10 crore theft from a flat rented by MPCC which was the party fund, Thakare on Wednesday said that there was no such theft at least in the flat rented by MPCC. Interestingly, soon after the news broke about this theft, Prithviraj Chavan loyalists were claiming that it was being spread to create confusion on the eve of CLP meeting in Thursday.