Congress empowers Maharashtra leaders for seat-sharing talks

MVA leaders during a press conference in Mumbai before the Lok Sabha election. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Eager to finish seat-sharing with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners at the earliest, the Congress high command has empowered senior state leaders to negotiate with the allies.

A decision to this effect was taken following a demand that talks be held at the state level because some Congress allies had bypassed state leadership to make unilateral announcements during the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) tussled over the candidates for Sangli. Uddhav Thackeray had announced his candidate while the Congress wanted to contest Sangli. Ultimately, a Congress rebel won from there. Local Congress leaders were upset over seat-sharing for Mumbai and MMR (Bhiwandi).

Party's National General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal had promised state leaders that he would constitute such committees in consultation with the National President Mallikarjun Kharge. As promised, he announced a seven-leader panel for the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and a three-member panel for the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee.

"Congress president has approved the proposal to constitute the following committee for Maharashtra Pradesh Committee and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee for negotiating with the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners, with immediate effect," said Venugopal in a statement.

The Maharashtra team comprises the State President Nana Patole, former state president Balasaheb Thorat, Opposition leader in the Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, former CM Prithviraj Chavan, former minister and working president Dr Nitin Raut, State Working President Arif Naseem Khan and legislator Satej ‘Bunty' Patil.

Mumbai Congress Chief and Lok Sabha MP, Varsha Gaikwad, former Mumbai president Bhai Jagtap and former minister Aslam Shaikh made the MRCC team.

288
No. of Assembly seats in Maharashtra