Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS): Newly appointed Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal in his maiden speech after taking over the charge on Tuesday declared that merit and performance will be the sole criteria during the appointments in the party organisation, saying that "favouritism, factionalism, and casteism will not be tolerated".

He told the party leaders and cadres that it was time to fight and not to cry and collectively focus on further strengthening the party organisation in the state.

Sapkal, who is the close confidant of party leader Rahul Gandhi, further asked the party workers to convey the ideas of the Congress to every household.

He lashed out at the BJP for engineering splits in opposition parties, saying that the party will have to take on such tactics by hitting the streets.

"We want to build an organisation, we have leadership. But we have to connect every link of the workers, we have to make the workers efficient. The weapons of war have changed, there is no option but to fight on the streets. Now is the time to fight, not cry. In the coming time, we will focus on strengthening the Congress organisation in the state and we want to convey the Congress's ideas to every household," said Sapkal.

He expressed his resolve to bring Congress to power in the state and make a Chief Minister from the party in the next Assembly elections.

"This battle is not about social media or advising each other. It is about moving forward by being proactive," he said.

He also warned the party leaders that just posing as one and making loud claims about their work will not work anymore.

In his speech, the state Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala said that Congress became the number one party in the state in the Lok Sabha elections but did not succeed in the Assembly elections.

The Opposition stole votes and formed the government, Chennithala added.

He asked the party workers to focus on strengthening the Congress organisation again and win as many seats as possible in the upcoming local body elections.

Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that the Congress secured a resounding victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but failed in the Assembly elections.

"Now we will have to work vigorously again. Numbers are not important, but the will to fight is important and the Congress party will never die," he added.

He declared that "we will work vigorously and bring glory to the Congress party again".

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said that a new era is beginning with the appointment of Harshvardhan Sapkal.

The philosophy of the Preamble of the Constitution is the same as the Congress's thinking, Thorat said.

The outgoing state party Chief Nana Patole said that the Congress won many elections, including by-elections.

"There was an estimate that Congress would win 80-85 seats in the Assembly, but BJP came to power by stealing votes. Congress did not object to EVMs, but the Election Commission could not answer how the voting increased," he added.