The Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday appointed senior leaders as coordinators for the upcoming elections to the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies of the state legislative council, scheduled for 2026, news agency PTI reported.
Former minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Balasaheb Thorat has been named as the coordinator for the Pune graduates` and teachers’ constituencies.
For the Nagpur Graduates` Constituency, the party has named former minister and current legislative council group leader Satej Patil as the coordinator, PTI reported.
Former minister and senior state unit vice-president Sunil Deshmukh has been named coordinator for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Graduates` Constituency, while former legislator and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee`s (MPCC`s) senior vice-president, MM Shaikh, will be the coordinator for the Amravati Teachers` Constituency, the party further said.
Eknath Shinde holds key meeting with Shiv Sena leaders ahead of BMC polls
With BMC polls slated to be held before January 2026, political parties have begun charting strategies and game plans to conquer the Mumbai civic body. In view of strengthening Shiv Sena’s hold in BMC elections, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Eknath Shinde on September 28 said that preparations for the upcoming municipal elections have been intensified. He further stated that party branch heads will play a pivotal role in the upcoming polls.
Shinde, while addressing a meeting of all branch heads and office bearers in Mumbai, underscored that the grassroots leadership of the party forms its backbone and will be central in ensuring victory.
“The announcement of municipal polls is expected soon. With this in mind, I convened a meeting with branch heads today. They are the party’s strength and the ones who address people’s day-to-day problems in their respective areas. Now, all our branch heads are fully active, and once the election is declared, they will enter the field with complete preparation,” the deputy CM said.
He added that the Shiv Sena has a legacy of electoral battles across levels. Shiv Sena has conquered the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha to municipal corporation elections in the past, and the cadre is well-versed in ground mobilisation, he stated.
“The resolve in the minds of our branch heads is clear, that the flag of Shiv Sena must fly atop the municipal corporations, especially the BMC, and the next mayor will certainly belong to the Mahayuti (grand alliance),” Shinde emphasised.
The meeting also focused on identifying and addressing local issues that citizens face daily, reinforcing the message that effective problem-solving at the grassroots level remains the party’s hallmark. According to Shinde, this direct connection between citizens and branch heads would be the key to securing public trust in the elections.
Mumbai civic body polls are expected to be a litmus test for Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, which now leads the state government in alliance with the BJP and other Mahayuti partners. This election will also seek to retain its influence over Mumbai’s civic governance.
(With PTI inputs)
