Mumbai: Weeks after Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Milind Deora tendered his resignation from his post, former Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad took charge as the working president of the MRCC on Sunday. He was felicitated by Deora.
The senior leadership of Congress in Delhi appointed Gaikwad as the working president of the Mumbai party wing on Saturday.
Hours after the appointment of Gaikwad as the working president, senior party leader and AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters that Milind Deora's resignation was rejected by the party and that both Gaikwad and Deora would work together.
"We've appointed a Working President for Mumbai (Eknath Gaikwad), Milind Deora ji and he will work together. There was a confusion that since Milind Deora ji submitted his resignation, he is not working. It is incorrect. His resignation hasn't been accepted," a news agency quoted Kharge as saying.
Deora resigned from his post on July 7, saying he was looking forward to playing a role at the national level to help stabilise the party.
"I had accepted MRCC presidentship in the interest of uniting the party. I felt I should also resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi," Deora had said.
While tendering his resignation, Deora also recommended setting up of a provisional collective leadership consisting of three senior party leaders to oversee the party unit until Maharashtra assembly polls which are due later this year.
Days after his resignation, a section of Mumbai Congress leaders, including Gaikwad, wrote to Kharge, requesting him not to accept Deora's resignation.
Deora, who had contested elections from Mumbai-South constituency, lost to Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant.