Congress reviews Maharashtra Assembly Elections prep

(From left) Congress leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, K C Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala and Nana Patole at the meeting on Friday. Pic/X

Notwithstanding its MVA partners' demands for more seats, Congress has decided to keep calm and wants that the seats be picked only on merit. Buoyed by an excellent show in the state's Lok Sabha polls, the party feels that it will be getting a good number of Assembly seats to fight and win.

Likewise, Congress wants its allies, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP), to pick their respective seats and contribute to the common cause of installing an MVA government in the state.

Aggressive campaign

Congress General Secretaries K C Venugopal (organisation) and Ramesh Chennithala (state in-charge) assessed the mood in the state unit on Friday and convinced the leadership to be hopeful in its efforts and aggressive while campaigning, assuring them that the Congress, being the single largest Lok Sabha party in Maharashtra, would get a good number of seats to contest in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. However, the thrust should be on merit (excellent chances of winning) while selecting the seats, the leaders said. Some presentations were made at the meeting.

State Congress president Nana Patole said that the seat-sharing talks hadn't started yet. "But it was clarified by the Delhi leaders that the talks will happen only at the state level. We will soon hold a meeting to discuss seat sharing with Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray." His statement is seen as a caution to the allies who contact the Congress high command, bypassing the state leadership.

One of the ex-minister attendees told mid-day that some complaints, arising from the Lok Sabha sharing and the recent seat-sharing statements of the allies, cropped up at the Garware Club meeting, but that wasn't taken as a flash point. An amicable solution of having a coordination committee of MVA partners was suggested. In addition, a special committee for seat sharing was proposed. The number of seats to be asked from the allies will come at a later stage, he said requesting anonymity.

For MVA coordination

"Everyone is talking in different tones. That creates confusion and unnecessary bad blood. The MVA coordination committee will discuss and decide the line of statement so that the atmosphere remains healthier," said the ex-minister. "We will ensure that there will be no direct announcement of candidature [like the Lok Sabha] or any policy decision," he added.

Senior Congress leaders at the meeting on Friday. Pic/X

The meeting turned out to be an extension of the one Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge had convened in Delhi last month. "Rahul-ji had asked for restraint and merit-based demands [for seats]. He had promised to ensure a respectable number of seats not only for the Congress but also for its MVA partners," said the leader.

Friday's focus was also on going very aggressive against the Mahayuti (NDA) government.

"We were asked to focus on the government's failure and reach out to the people with it. No stone will be left unturned to install the MVA government," added the leader.

Nana Patole, Maharashtra Congress president

No change of guard

The state leaders were told sternly that there would be no change in the Maharashtra and Mumbai unit presidents' offices. "We were told very clearly to work in the same set-up," the leader said. The clarity given by the high command means a great relief for the Mumbai chief Varsha Gaikwad whose ouster was demanded by a large section of city leaders. Most of these leaders from rival camps were present at the meeting.

Cross-voters

Later, Venugopal told the reporters that the party had identified cross-voters (MLAs) in the Legislative Council elections. "Action will be taken against them soon. You will know about it," he said.

Gandhi to flag off campaign

According to Patole, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge will flag off the Assembly campaign in Mumbai on August 20, the birth anniversary of the late Rajiv Gandhi.