MVA allies meet in Mumbai amid tensions

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad and Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Prithviraj Chavan after the MVA meeting at Nariman Point on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders met on Thursday evening amid palpable tension between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) over the unilateral announcement of some LS candidates. Insiders said Congress leaders who fumed over naming of candidates in Sangli, Mumbai South Central and Mumbai North West, expressed their displeasure at the meeting.

Prithviraj Chavan, chief of Congress's campaign committee, told reporters after the meeting that some issues were still being discussed. He, however, declined to talk specifically about individual constituencies. "Wait for a few days. All issues will be sorted out," he said. NCP boss Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Congress veteran Balasaheb Thorat, NCP's state chief Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad attended the meeting.

Chavan said the meeting was primarily about deciding the joint campaign. Leaders were given presentations about advertising campaigns. War rooms, joint rallies and joint declarations were also discussed. Awhad said the meeting was held in a sporting manner. According to him some catchy slogans were discussed. "There will be a disagreement in any alliance. Some speak about it, some don't," he said. Awhad said the MVA had gone ahead many notches instead of getting stalled over certain matters. "Can't you see we're together, and we'll be together in future," he added.

CEC meet imminent

The top Congress leadership is likely to hold a meeting of its Central Election Committee (CEC) in New Delhi on March 31 to discuss and finalise the remaining candidates for the Lok Sabha polls starting April 19. Sources said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, besides other senior leaders and members of the CEC, are likely to attend the meet.

The sources said the names of the candidates that would be discussed during Sunday's CECs meeting would include those to be fielded from Delhi and Maharashtra. The Congress has so far announced a total of 208 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls that are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes will be taken up on June 4

Mar 31
Day CEC meet is to be held

With agency inputs