Maha CLP leader to be chosen after May 23 LS results: Kharge

A new leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will be chosen after Lok Sabha poll results are declared on May 23, the party's Maharashtra in charge Mallikarjun Kharge said Monday.

Kharge held a meeting of party MLAs and MLCs here to know their views and choice of a new leader.

Sources said senior Congress leader and former revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, former minister Varsha Gaikwad from Mumbai and Sunil Kedar from Nagpur are in the fray.

The post of CLP leader in the Maharashtra Assembly fell vacant after the resignation of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.

Vikhe Patil had quit after his son Sujay joined the BJP when the NCP refused to the leave Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat for ally Congress.

In Monday's meeting, a resolution was passed giving complete authority to the party high command to choose a new CLP leader.

"I spoke to MLAs and MLCs and we discussed issues. We also discussed expectations from a leader," Kharge said.

"Social engineering was also discussed during the meeting," Kharge said, hinting that an OBC or Dalit MLA could also get a chance to become CLP leader.

The CLP leader will have only one Assembly session since the state is scheduled to go to polls later this year.