Four observers sent to assess Nanded crisis, only 1 arrives

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: MPCC president Nana Patole on Wednesday suspended Congress’s Nanded district unit and appointed four observers to assess the situation and revive the party’s prospects in the region.

Congress is facing a crisis after its former leader and ex-chief minister Ashok Chavan left the party without any prominent face in Marathwada. Chavan is a second-generation Congress leader and he has joined the BJP.

City district president of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Shaikh Yusuf, one of the observers, reached Nanded on Thursday and met with the local party workers.

He urged party workers to remain united, work hard to defeat Chavan and his allies in the upcoming elections, and assured the party’s full support.

When contacted, Yusuf Shaikh said, “We are determined to revive the party in Nanded as well as Marathwada region. The setback is temporary.”

Yusuf was supposed to be join by three other observers, however, they have reportedly gone to Mahableshwar where the party is holding a camp for its MLAs and MPs. Their absence remains unclear, but has raised questions about the party’s commitment to resolve the crisis in Nanded.

Nanded is a key district in Marathwada region, where the Congress has a strong base and history of winning elections. But in a major blow to the party, Chavan’s exit has left the Congress to continue struggling to regain its lost ground in the state.