Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: Congress to persuade rebels to withdraw nominations, says Ramesh Chennithala

Ramesh Chennithala. File Pic

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said the Maharashtra party leadership has been asked to ensure all rebels withdraw nominations and asserted there will be no friendly fights among the MVA allies in the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, reported news agency PTI.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Chennithala also claimed the ruling BJP has "stolen" seats of its Mahayuti allies, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has given equal treatment to the alliance partners, reported PTI.

Major political parties in Maharashtra are facing rebellion in their ranks as party workers denied tickets have defied their leaderships and filed nominations for the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, posing a headache for both the Mahayuti and the MVA.

November 4 is the last date for withdrawal of candidatures and after that a clear picture will emerge on the number of rebels still left in the fray.

The MVA comprises the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar, while the Mahayuti consists of the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and the NCP led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, reported PTI.

Chennithala, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra, said their party leader Naseem Khan has been asked to speak to the Samajwadi Party and they are hopeful the issue (of nominations by rebels) will be resolved by November 4.

"All rebels will withdraw. There will be no friendly fights in the MVA. Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar and Nana Patole will talk to the rebels," he said.

"Forming government of the MVA is our goal," he said, asserting the opposition allies will fight the state assembly polls with discipline, reported PTI.

Dubbing the Mahayuti coalition as "strange", Chennithala claimed the BJP has fielded candidates in seats allotted to allies NCP and Shiv Sena, reported PTI.

There is no Mahayuti, but only the BJP is fighting the elections, he added.

The BJP has stolen the seats of allies. There are a lot of differences among the Mahayuti partners, Chennithala claimed.

The BJP has "finished" the NCP and Sena, the Congress leader charged.

"We have given equal treatment to all the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies," he said, reported PTI.

Chennithala also claimed that the state government's flagship Ladki Bahin scheme, for providing financial assistance to women, has been shut for want of funds.

(With inputs from PTI)