Nana Patole: Change of govt inevitable in state after Maharashtra Assembly polls

Nana Patole. File Pic

Nana Patole, head of the Maharashtra Congress, voiced confidence on Tuesday that a change in administration is unavoidable following the state's approaching assembly elections. Patole stated that Shiv Sena (UBT) chairman Uddhav Thackeray will meet with Congress leadership during his three-day visit to Delhi, which begins on Tuesday, reported PTI.

According to the PTI report, he said, "They will discuss a strategy on how to defeat the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra."

Thackeray is set to meet with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss the state's current political scenario.

Patole indicated that seat-sharing talks for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), will take place in Mumbai rather than Delhi.

Maharashtra Assembly Polls are anticipated to take place in October of this year.

Responding to enquiries, Patole stated that individuals who engaged in anti-party actions by breaking the whip during the recent Maharashtra legislative council elections would not be spared.

"Those who defied the party whip have been identified and will not be forgiven," declared the leader. Seven Congress MLAs cross-voted in the legislative council elections last month.

Patole chastised the Eknath Shinde-led government for announcing populist policies "aimed at winning elections".

"Some taxpayers went to court against the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme and the government is blaming the MVA," said Patole. Under the Ladki Bahin initiative, qualifying women will earn Rs 1,500 every month.

Maharashtra authorities have completed the analysis of one crore applications received under the Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, the state government's flagship scheme for underprivileged women, with only 7,000 rejected, according to a spokesperson for the ruling Shiv Sena on Tuesday.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam, speaking to the reporters in Mumbai, said that they received one crore applications offline apart from those received online.

Speaking to reporters here, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam said, "As many as 1.50 crore forms were filled online, while around one crore applications were submitted offline. So far, 2.5 crore applications to the plan have been received."

According to the former MP, one crore applications have been examined thus far, with only 7,000 being rejected.

With PTI inputs