Maharashtra Speaker Nana Patole has put in his papers. He is tipped to be the next state Congress president. The organisational change was being speculated for long and Patole has been a frontrunner for the prime post. His resignation came on Thursday following his meeting with party high command Rahul Gandhi early this week.

Patole confirmed the party’s directive to quit the legislative position, but added that he hadn’t received any directive about taking the state unit’s charge which is now being held by Balasaheb Thorat, the revenue minister who also leads the party’s legislative unit in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. Thorat had expressed his willingness to quit last month after the party initiated a digital opinion poll and intra-party meeting to zero in on a new face.