In a bid to contain its depleting morale, especially at a time when the Congress faces the threat of defection from some of its legislators, the party has found a remedy to faction feud. They have named Balasaheb Thorat, an archrival of former Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, as the leader of legislative party in the state.

However, it would be interesting to see how the situation on the floor of the lower house unfolds and whether it allows Congress to grab the Opposition leader's post, in this case, Thorat or the party's Assembly group leader Vijay Wadettiwar. 

Thorat, a former revenue minister in the Congress government, has been Patil's fierce competitor in Ahmednagar. Expecting some gains, the party has pitted him against Patil, who is expected to join the BJP and land a Cabinet berth ahead of the October Assembly polls.