MUMBAI: AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday appointed senior Congress leader and Dharavi legislator Varsha Gaikwad as the president of Mumbai Congress in place of Bhai Jagtap.
A dalit face of the Congress, Varsha Gaikwad will be the first woman to lead the Mumbai Congress, she is the daughter of veteran Congress leader Eknathrao Gaikwad.
For the 48-year-old Gaikwad, the biggest challenge will be the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2009, she was appointed minister of state for medical education, then minister for women and child welfare. During the MVA rule, she was minister for education and guardian minister for Hingoli. A post-graduate in mathematics, Gaikwad held several key party posts, including senior vice-president Mumbai Congress.
Apparently, Jagtap has been removed following an internal report over the defeat of Congress candidate Chandrakant Handore in the Legislative Council polls.
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