The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), under president Harshwardhan Sapkal, announced a sprawling 387-member jumbo committee on Wednesday, five months after Sapkal’s appointment as state chief on February 13, 2025. The move aims to rejuvenate the party’s organizational strength following its lackluster performance in the 2024 Assembly elections, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) secured only 46 seats against the Mahayuti alliance’s 230.

The committee comprises a 36-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) chaired by AICC Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, 16 senior vice presidents, 38 vice presidents, five senior spokespersons, 108 general secretaries, 95 secretaries, and 87 executive committee members. Notably, Dheeraj Deshmukh, son of late CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, was appointed a senior spokesperson, marking his debut in a prominent party role. The PAC includes heavyweights like former CMs Sushilkumar Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan, Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, Rajya Sabha MPs Rajni Patil and Imran Pratapgarhi, and former state presidents Nana Patole and Manikrao Thakare.

The party also named presidents for 13 district units, emphasizing grassroots restructuring. Sources highlight that 40% of appointees belong to Other Backward Classes (OBC), with balanced representation from Muslim, Adivasi, and Dalit communities across Maharashtra’s regions, including Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Western Maharashtra. To counter recent defections, fresh faces from affected areas like Sangli and Nashik were included, signaling a focus on youth and inclusivity.

Also Read: Congress Slams Maharashtra Govt Over Farmer Suicides, Minister’s Game Video

Sapkal, a Rahul Gandhi loyalist and former Buldhana MLA, described the committee as a “strategic reset” to challenge the BJP-led Mahayuti in upcoming local body elections. AICC sources indicate the committee’s formation, delayed by internal deliberations post the November 2024 polls, aligns with Rahul Gandhi’s push for diversity and regional balance. The Congress, holding 13 seats in the 288-member Assembly, aims to leverage this revamped structure to rebuild its base in a state it dominated for decades until the BJP’s rise in 2014.

Also Read: Congress Faces Heat Over Silent Passage of Maharashtra Security Bill