Maharashtra: No younger or elder brother in MVA, we are triplets, says Congress leader Ashok Chavan

Ashok Chavan. File Pic

Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Tuesday said that there is no elder or younger brother in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), and the partners are like 'triplets', the PTI reported.

Ashok Chavan said that the MVA constituents have not yet decided on a seat-sharing formula for the next year's Lok Sabha elections, the news agency reported.

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He was speaking to the media after a meeting of Congress leaders in connection with the 2024 general elections.

Asked if there is an elder brother or younger brother in MVA, Chavan said there was nothing of that sort. We are triplets, he said.

The emphatic victory of the Congress in the recently held Karnataka elections has galvanised the MVA to put up a united challenge to the ruling BJP in the 2024 elections.

Ashok Chavan said that the Maharashtra Congress has initiated primary-level talks for next year's polls.

Constituency-wise talks (of Congress) have not yet begun. We will call district-wise party meetings on 2 and 3 (June) in Mumbai. But the party (MVA partner) which is stronger in a particular area should contest that seat is a policy, he said, according to the PTI.

Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP had won 23 in 2019, followed by the then undivided Shiv Sena's tally of 18. While the NCP won 4 seats, the Congress got one.

We contested 26 Lok Sabha seats (in Maharashtra) last time. But this time the situation will be better compared to last time, Chavan added.

Apart from Lok Sabha polls, Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in the later part of next year.

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Meanwhile, a hoarding declaring former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan's two daughters as "prospective MLAs" cropped up in his home turf Nanded on Tuesday, the PTI reported.

Besides highlighting the names of Shreejaya and Sujaya Chavan, the poster also has their photos. It was put up by some Congress workers to extend birthday wishes, according to the PTI.

When Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' entered Maharashtra via Nanded last November, Shreejaya was seen walking with the former Congress president from Deglur.

After Shreejaya's video of walking with Gandhi went viral, Ashok Chavan tweeted in Marathi giving an analogy of birds spreading wings and spoke about indescribable joy when little ones fly into the sky on their own.

Shreejaya, a law graduate who handles the office of her father, had actively participated in the poll campaign of Ashok Chavan, who represents the Bhokar Assembly constituency, sources had said.

The Congress is one of the constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party.

The three parties had said they will contest the upcoming elections together.

(with PTI inputs)