In a significant organisational reshuffle, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed a low-profile one-time MLA Harshwardhan Sapkal as the Chief of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). Sapkal replaced Nana Patole, entrusted with the state’s responsibility in 2021.

The outgoing MPCC Chief could be credited with both – Congress’s phenomenal performance in the Lok Sabha elections and a disgraceful performance in the Assembly elections. Patole had resigned soon after the assembly elections result on November 23 where Congress could win only 16 seats out of 102 it contested. The hunt for Patole’s replacement had begun months ago and now ended with Sapkal. And just like Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Sapkal is the resident of Maharashtra’s power centre Vidarbha. But can he deliver?

It is the first time that Congress has picked a leader with such a low-profile and with no base of his own. Perhaps, the party is hoping that Sapkal’s ideological commitment alone would be enough to pull the party’s organisation out of the rut it looks to appear presently – its block and district-level units stand defunct and dead, factionalism is a norm in every district unit, and the morale of the party cadre is low and battered.

The task before Sapkal is clear cut. Firstly, revamp the party’s organisation to instil confidence and boost the morale of the Congress’s rank and file. Secondly, to curb........

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