Maharashtra Congress announces new 387-member jumbo committee; includes 16 senior VPs, 38 VPs

Presidents of 13 district units of the party have also been named. Representational Pic

Five months after Harshwardhan Sapkal took over as the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief, the party has announced a jumbo 387-member state committee.

The newly formed panel features a 36-member political affairs committee, 16 senior vice presidents, 38 vice presidents, five senior spokespersons, 108 general secretaries, 95 secretaries, and 87 executive committee members, according to news agency PTI.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala will head the political affairs committee. Among the key appointments, former MLA Dheeraj Deshmukh, son of the late Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been named a senior spokesperson for the first time.

Former chief ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan, Mumbai Congress chief and Lok Sabha member Varsha Gaikwad, Rajya Sabha members Rajni Patil, Imran Pratapgarhi and former state presidents Nana Patole, Manikrao Thakare are members of the political affairs committee, as per the news agency PTI.

Presidents of 13 district units of the party have also been named.

Party sources said 40 per cent of the appointees are Other Backwards Classes (OBC) and adequate representation has been given to Muslim, Adivasi and Dalit communities from each region of the state.

Fresh faces from regions where leaders have deserted the party have been given a place, the sources added, as per the news agency PTI.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "refusing to unequivocally" deny US President Donald Trump's India-Pakistan ceasefire claims as he is on a "very weak wicket and has much to cover up".

The opposition party also took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi after Trump repeated his claim about playing a role in bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying the American leader is coiled around the PM "like a snake" and "hissing bitter truths" into his ear.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Scotland, Trump repeated the claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.

Tagging a video of Trump's latest remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, "This is President Trump yet again - After the PM's intervention yesterday in the Lok Sabha, where he deflected and diverted the main issue."

(With PTI inputs)