Reneging on his earlier decision to quit the party’s campaigning committee, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC)  Working President Arif Naseem Khan has come around to be a Star Campaigner for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in the State, following an intervention by party leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala.

The withdrawal of resignation by Arif Khan comes nine days after he resigned from the MPCC's campaign committee and also from his position being the star campaigner in protest against the lack of Muslim candidates from the party as well as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for the LS polls.

Following his decision to campaign for his party, Arif Khan’s name has figured in the new list of Star Campaigners for the Congress-MVA-INDIA alliance candidates in the state for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state scheduled for May 20.Given that there are a large number of Muslim voters in 20-odd Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, the Congress leadership had taken a serious cognisance of Arif Khan’s resignation from the party’s campaign committee and also from the post of the star campaigner. 

After a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Chennithala who assured him that they would look into his grievances, Arif Khan withdrew his resignation and agreed to be a part of the party’s campaign in the Congress.

Arif Khan was lobbying for nomination to contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Mumbai North Central. However, the Congress chose to field city Congress President and former minister Prof. Varsha Gaikwad.

Prof Varsha is taking on Advocate Ujjwal Nikam of the ruling BJP, Advocate Ramzan Chaudhary  of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Santosh Ambulge of the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA)’s Santosh Ambulge.