Outlook of India's Morning Memo

Congress leader Rahul Patil has joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP in Kolhapur, weeks before Maharashtra’s local body polls. Backed by minister Hasan Mushrif, the move strengthens the ruling alliance’s rural network. Patil, son of late Congress MLA P.N. Patil, lost the 2024 Karvir race but carries deep local roots. Congress faces a fresh setback in a district where cooperatives and caste math drive outcomes.