The Congress’s dismal showing in the 2024 Assembly elections—securing a mere 16 of 288 seats—highlighted growing structural weaknesses. Yet, that outcome was merely symptomatic of more profound internal decay. Families with deep Congress ties have seen their younger members depart, shifting allegiance or abandoning political ambitions altogether, party insiders reveal.
Anant Gadgil, a third-generation Congress leader, expressed concern about this steady drain. He cited specific cases: Milind Deora, former Union minister, defected to Shiv Sena in 2024; in Sangli, Satyajit Deshmukh joined the BJP; in Dhule, Kunal Patil left for the BJP; Pune saw Sangram Thopte make the same switch; and Rajashri Patil, related by marriage to veteran Vasantdada Patil, also moved to the BJP. These departures underscore a sentiment that the party offers limited future prospects to its loyalist youth, with insider commentary noting, “Many of the younger politicians don't see a future in the Congress anymore. The organisation is weak. Their switch is more about survival than ideology”.
Further amplifying the crisis, even active adult leaders have defected. Ravindra Dhangekar, a former Congress MLA celebrated for breaking the BJP's grip on Pune’s Kasba Peth in 2023, joined Shiv Sena in March 2025. In Kolhapur, aides of Congress MLC Satej Patil—including former mayors and standing committee chairs—have crossed over to Shinde’s Shiv Sena, raising party alarm bells.
The attrition is not confined to local bodies. High-profile defections at the state level reflect Madrid strategy among rival alliances. The BJP orchestrated a widespread poaching operation targeting Congress leaders in central Maharashtra, attempting to persuade a third of its MLAs to join the ruling coalition. This overt aggression further destabilises Congress’s state presence.
Within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, Congress appears marginalised. Both the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP have capitalised on Congress exhaustion. In 2024, seat-sharing frictions emerged as allies cornered Congress out of seats it had historically held. That power imbalance disheartened cadres and encouraged defections.
The exodus has multiple layers: ideological drift, organisational neglect, and incentive-seeking behaviour. Gadgil observed how defections are “rewarded quickly,” while loyalists feel overlooked when it comes to key roles and nominations. Meanwhile, Congress has lacked a visible, unifying leadership figure in the state. Ashok Chavan, former CM, resigned from the party in 2024, bluntly stating Congress has “no leadership in the state”. National-level support has done little to alleviate this vacuum.
Political analysts highlight Congress’s weakened grassroots presence. One Reddit commentator reflected on the party’s internal collapse: “They never improved their grassroots organisation.… Once BJP figured out they will need to do the same they stopped being different. Now it becomes a fight of party cadres and organization which Congress never developed”.
Congress retains limited influence in urban pockets. The 2023 by-election victory in Kasba Peth and a few metropolitan wards showcase its capacity to mobilise minority and Dalit votes. Yet these urban strongholds are overshadowed by widespread defection across rural and semi-urban areas where family legacies once sustained the party. The growing number of young loyalists forsaking local political engagement further erodes its power base.
Defections continue. Just this month, two former mayors and 18 ex-corporators aligned with Congress MLC Satej Patil switched to Shiv Sena. Earlier, prominent Congress figures in Ulhasnagar turned allegiance to Shiv Sena before the local civic polls. These movements are tactically timed ahead of municipal votes, diminishing Congress’s prospects at the grassroots level.
The cumulative impact is manifold: reduced organisational cohesion, dwindling youth engagement, and loss of voter loyalty. With local bodies forming the bedrock of state-level campaigning, Congress may struggle to regain footing without decisive leadership, systemic rejuvenation, and a credible appeal to its next generation. Unless these issues are addressed, the party’s position in Maharashtra seems set to decline further.