Nagpur (PTI): Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday said that he has expressed his willingness to resign from the post, and now the party high command will decide on it.

Talking to reporters on Vidhan Bhavan premises, Patole said the Congress's group leader in the state legislature will be chosen today.

Following the party's worst-ever defeat in the assembly elections in Maharashtra, party sources had earlier claimed that the senior Congress leader had requested the central leadership to relieve him of the responsibility of the organisational post. Patole, however, had clarified last week that he had not tendered resignation and rumours were being spread.

Patole said the Congress's Maharashtra in-charge will arrive in the city on Tuesday evening, and the party's group leader in the state legislature will be elected.

He said discussions about the state chief's post would also take place.

Queried whether he has tendered his resignation from the state chief's post, Patole said, "I have expressed my willingness. The party high command will decide on the same."

In the recently held assembly polls, the ruling Mahayuti registered a resounding victory and retained power in the state, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered a drubbing, winning 46 seats, of which Congress managed just 16 seats.

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New Delhi (PTI): Opposition members from TMC and CPI(M) on Tuesday alleged that constitutional rights in Manipur had been suspended and slammed the BJP MPs for not raising the issue during the debate on the Constitution.

Participating in a discussion on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", Trinamool Congress' Sushmita Dev said MPs of the ruling party from the Northeast region should resign as all rights ensured to people under the Constitution have been curtailed in Manipur.

"Today, I say while we debate on the Constitution which Constitutional right have you not suspended in Manipur? Liberty, expression of speech, everything is being suspended in Manipur.

"I stand here as a member of Parliament representing the Northeast, demanding the resignation of every MP from Northeast and every minister who is thumping their desk behind the Leader of the House," Dev said.

She alleged the BJP is creating different classes of citizens with different rights in Assam.

"There is no equality in the way NRC (National Register of Citizens) has been conducted," Dev said and claimed this government "wants one election, one leader, one religion".

This is not what Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted for this country, she said, adding, "This is a fascist government that is at play."

John Brittas CPI (M) said, "Let the prime ,inister go to Manipur, discharge his responsibilities as the prime minister of this country. Let his 11-mantra which he gave on the floor of the Lok Sabha, let him (PM) do that".

He alleged that from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to the Election Commission to Parliament and the media, the trust of the people has been dented considerably.

Brittas claimed that there was an "undeclared Emergency in this country". He claimed that 'One Nation One Election' is an extension of "one leader, one country, one ideology".

He also demanded that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) be appointed to probe where Hungarian-American businessman and investor George Soros' money was used.

Dev claimed corporate loans are being waived whereas farmers are reeling from debts.

She claimed that the country's "middle class is the worst impacted by the tax burden" while taxation on the corporates keeps reducing because of the policies of this government.

She claimed that the "two most destructive policies" of the central government, namely the note ban and the lockdown in the aftermath of Covid, destroyed the informal economy.,

Ram Nath Thakur, JD(U) leader and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said the government strives to implement the principles enshrined in the Constitution.

He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving Bharat Ratna to former prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh as well as former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, a champion of backward empowerment, among others, in 2023, asking who stopped the Congress-party from doing the same.