Divisional commissioner recognises Rajesh Adoor as Congress group leader in Chandrapur civic body

The dispute over the post of Congress group leader in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation has finally been settled. Under an order issued by the divisional commissioner on November 5, 2026, councillor Rajesh Adoor has been recognised as the Congress group leader. The name of Surendra Adbale, earlier entered against the post, has been cancelled.

The order states that 15 of the 27 Congress councillors confirmed their signatures in support of Adoor during the hearing. The dispute had been running for several months, and the order also refers to the Nagpur Bench of the High Court. In the order of the divisional commissioner and regional director, Rajesh Murli Adoor has been recognised again as the Congress group leader, while the name of Surendra Vitthalrao Adbale has been removed. The administrative decision has stirred political circles in Chandrapur.

The sequence of events was as follows. Congress won 27 seats in the municipal corporation's general election held on January 15, 2026. Rajesh Adoor was then unanimously elected the party's group leader on February 6, 2026. A few months later, on June 16, 2026, 16 councillors came together and submitted Surendra Adbale's name to the administration. On July 21, 2026, the administration entered Adbale's name as the Congress group leader.

Adoor and 10 councillors supporting him moved the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court against this decision. While the matter was pending in court, on September 29, 2026, Adoor, along with 15 supporting councillors, submitted a fresh proposal to change the group leader and amend the bylaws (the group's rules). At the hearing before the divisional commissioner, 15 of the 27 Congress councillors stood with Adoor and clearly confirmed their signatures. The High Court had directed on October 30, 2026 that the matter be decided as early as possible. Taking all this and the majority of 15 councillors as the basis, the divisional commissioner cancelled Adbale's appointment and approved Adoor's name.

The development has again brought the internal feud of the party in the district into the open. A few days ago, senior leader and MLA Vijay Wadettiwar had said: "Forgetting party differences, everyone should now get down to work together, and we will begin this from Chandrapur." But after the latest order, the power struggle suggests that the old distance between the Wadettiwar and Dhanorkar camps in the Congress still persists.

Directing that the order be implemented immediately, divisional joint commissioner Ravindra Bhelai has sent a copy to the mayor, the district collector, the municipal commissioner, Rajesh Adoor, Surendra Adbale and all the departments concerned.