Internal conflicts within Maharashtra’s “triple-engine government” have reached their peak, but all allies continue to cling to power for their own interests, said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Harshvardhan Sapkal in a statement on Thursday.
“Ajit Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Deputy Chief Minister, is desperate for power. He cannot stay without being in power, so there’s no question of him stepping down,” Sapkal remarked.
The two-day meeting at the Tilak Bhavan of the State Election Committee of the Congress was attended by Legislature Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Legislative Council Group Leader Satej alias Bunty Patil, co-incharge BM Sandeep, Congress Working Committee member and former minister Naseem Khan, state vice-presidents Mohan Joshi and Wajahat Mirza, state general secretaries (organisation and administration) Advocate Ganesh Patil, Siddharth Hattiambire, Sachin Naik, and other party members.
After the meeting, Sapkal told the reporters that the process of finalising candidates for the upcoming municipal and nagar panchayat elections had been completed.
“Candidates have been selected after consultations with local leadership. Each district has its own political dynamics. Alliances have been formed with like-minded parties such as Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Shetkari Sanghatana, RSP, and Shetkari Kamgar Paksha in some districts. No proposal for an alliance with MNS has been received from any district,” he said.
Some BJP office-bearers also joined the Congress.
Junaid Khan, BJP Minority Morcha’s Maharashtra General Secretary and a close aide of BJP MLA Bunty Bhagdia, joined the Congress in Chandrapur district.
He added that growing dissatisfaction within the Mahayuti coalition has led many office-bearers from all three ruling parties to feel deceived.
“In the coming days, several prominent leaders from the ruling alliance will join the Congress,” Sapkal said.
Meanwhile, Dr Satyendra Bhusari, former president of Chikhli Taluka Congress in Buldhana district, passed away tragically in an accident. The State Election Committee meeting began with members observing a moment of silence to pay tribute to him.
`Still no plans to include MNS in MVA before civic polls`
With less than three months left for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations to hold elections, it is still unclear whether Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will be part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal stated that there is no formal proposal to include MNS as the new partner in the MVA.
A day after MVA and MNS announced to stay united for local polls to fight BJP and its allies, the MVA leaders from Maharashtra briefed the media in Mumbai about their plans. “The Congress alone cannot decide on the inclusion of the MNS. All stakeholders of the INDIA bloc parties will sit together and decide on the issue,” Sapkal added.
On November 1, all Opposition parties (MVA), including the MNS, had organised a protest rally in Mumbai against the irregularities in the electoral rolls. However, Sapkal’s absence from the rally had become a talking point as many in the Opposition, on condition of anonymity, claimed that the Congress was reluctant to have any proximity with the MNS for the latter’s tirade against the non-Marathi speaking people in Maharashtra, especially Mumbai.
