Manikrao Thakre is MPCC chief

MUMBAI: After much dilly-dallying, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) confirmed the appointment of Manikrao Thakre as Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president for two years on Friday.
The MPCC executive committee had authorized Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take a final decision after the organizational elections.
Mohan Prakash, AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, confirmed the appointment.
The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) executive committee had also authorized the Congress president to take a final decision. MRCC president Kripashankar Singh is facing allegations in a public interest litigation filed against him for disproportionate wealth. Prakash said they have to still hold discussions for Mumbai.
The Congress could not afford uncertainty over two key positions in view of the coming elections to the zilla parishads, municipal corporations and municipal councils. According to insiders, the process has taken long due to changes at the organizational level in the AICC itself.
Defence minister A K Antony, who used to look after Maharashtra, was replaced by Prakash, who has first-hand knowledge of the state as he had been assisting Antony as AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra.
Thakre and Kripashankar had led the MPCC and MRCC during the last assembly and parliamentary elections. However, due to factionalism, the executive committees had authorized the party president to take a final decision.
Even before Manikrao's appointment was confirmed, the MPCC had launched a year-long campaign in the state to ensure support from Dalits, minorities and OBCs. "During the campaign, we will target youth and women and tackle their issues to win them over," Prakash said.
He hoped that now that the uncertainty over Manikrao's appointment was over the party organization will prepare itself in a better way for the mini-general elections in Maharashtra in 2011-12.