It is never the case that someone becomes famous just by waving a magic wand. Such a person has usually undergone immense struggle, dedicated their life, worked hard, and found a way through defeats. The struggle of Nana Patole, the current president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, is similar.
Despite his father’s opposition to 'Khaki' and 'Khadi,' he entered politics and has not looked back since. He has continued his journey by skilfully combining both politics and social work.
Nana Patole often finds himself in the spotlight due to his bold statements and political strategies. However, local people believe that he has gained more recognition because he has brought about comprehensive development in his constituency.
Nana Patole began his journey in social work and politics through the 'Chhava' youth organization. His political and social service endeavours started when he was still a student. He later became a member of the Zilla Parishad, served as an MLA twice, was elected as an MP, and became the Speaker of the Assembly. Currently, he is serving as the president of the Maharashtra Congress.
“It is said that those who work hard are truly dedicated.” Due to his outstanding performance, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly praised Nana Patole as “the fighting leader of Maharashtra Congress and a mass leader.”
Nana Patole is always seen taking a rebellious stance regarding public issues. “I am ready to face any challenges to ensure justice for the people,” he states. When opposing issues, he does not consider how powerful the ruling party or leader may be. He is always prepared to challenge anyone for the sake of the people.
Many might remember a historic event in Indian politics. Before the BJP came to power, Nana Patole was active in the BJP. The Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, and a new GST policy was implemented in 2016. This policy also imposed GST on agricultural raw materials. Farmers, facing a dire economic situation, could not afford seeds, fertilizers, and necessary farming items. As a result, the rate of farmer suicides began to rise. When the new GST policy was introduced, Nana Patole opposed it.
However, later it became a matter of farmers’ lives. He made efforts to bring farmers' issues to the government's attention. The government was doing nothing about it. Moreover, it was also indifferent to issues concerning other backward classes. Frustrated by this, Nana Patole launched an attack on the government in Parliament regarding farmers' and other backward classes' issues and resigned from his position as an MP and from the Bharatiya Janata Party on December 8, 2017, joining the Congress Party.
This moment became historic in Indian politics because resigning from an opposition party to join the ruling party is not novel; however, entering an opposition party after renouncing positions in the ruling party over public issues is something only Nana accomplished. This clearly demonstrates his strong opposition to injustice. Subsequently, in 2018, Nana Patole was appointed as president of the Kisan Congress, and in 2021 he was appointed as president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Given Nana Patole's contributions and work for the Congress Party, it is evident why he is considered a significant leader within it.
After switching parties, Nana Bhau had to face numerous critics. However, due to his fearless personality, he did not succumb to this criticism. He faced it bravely and continued his work. "There is no point in sitting outside discussing; if we want to raise our voice against injustice, we must go into that field and try to improve it," Nana Bhau always says. “It is customary to blame the state president for electoral defeats; accordingly, credit for victories should also go to the state president,” Nana Patole clarified.
When comparing other leaders in Maharashtra with Nana Patole's political career, he stands out positively.
“For thousands of years, Congress has continuously worked since post-independence for preserving the country’s culture and for comprehensive democratic development,” says Nana Patole. He also states that “development does not happen overnight; it requires persistent efforts and continuous follow-up—and I am ready to give my last breath for Maharashtra’s comprehensive development.”
