Harshwardhan Sapkal has been appointed as the new president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, the party announced on Thursday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge approved the appointment with immediate effect.
Sapkal, 57, is a former legislator from Buldhana and is considered close to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He replaces Nana Patole, who resigned from the post after the party’s defeat in the state assembly elections last year.
The Congress leadership had been searching for a new state chief for several months but faced challenges in finding a leader willing to take on the responsibility of rebuilding the party.
In another key decision, the party appointed Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar as the Leader of the Congress Legislative Party in Maharashtra. Wadettiwar, a senior leader, previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.