Congress to elect Maharashtra leaders Thursday

The Congress will elect its leaders for the Maharashtra assembly and council at a meeting here Thursday, party officials said here Wednesday.

The 42 newly-elected Congress MLAs and 22 legislative council members will attend.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will be present as the central observer, besides other senior state leaders.

Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is tipped to be the new leader of the Congress Legislative Party while acting Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Manikrao Thakre may lead the party in the council, according to sources.

Thakre had quit as the state president and the party is also expected to finalise the new MPCC chief to replace him shortly.

The Congress, which emerged as the third largest party in last month's assembly elections with 42 seats, will be sitting in the opposition after ruling the state in coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party for 15 years.