27 January,2024 10:02 PM IST | Gondia | mid-day online correspondent
Praful Patel. File Pic
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Saturday claimed that the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance will sweep the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, reported the PTI.
According to the PTI, the Opposition's INDIA bloc would fail as the people have strong faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said at a party event in Maharashtra's Gondia.
The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP will win most Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, the former Union minister said.
Under the Modi government, India has developed strong relations even with Islamic countries and one of the biggest Hindu temples is now coming up in Abu Dhabi, Praful Patel said, as per PTI.
"In INDI alliance there are 25 partners who can not reach consensus on their logo....You can not win elections simply by targeting PM Modi with no clear agenda of yours," he added.
On Maratha reservation, Patel said the issue seems to be almost sorted out with activist Manoj Jarange calling off his hunger strike, and the NCP was always in favour of Maratha reservation.
On whether he would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Bhandara-Gondia seat, Patel said he could not comment as the decision would be taken after discussions with the alliance partners.
Meanwhile, Congress's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the state unit leadership including Nana Patole has been asked to hold seat-sharing talks with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and other like-minded parties, the news agency reported on Saturday.
The statement came days after Ambedkar snubbed an invite from leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance -- state Congress chief Patole and leaders of Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) -- for seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha elections, and also claimed that Patole had no powers to hold such talks.
Speaking to reporters here after reviewing the party's Lok Sabha elections preparations in north Maharashtra, Chennithala said Patole, state legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat and former chief minister Ashok Chavan have been assigned the responsibility of holding talks with VBA and other like-minded parties.
Chennithala, meanwhile, also informed that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter Maharashtra from Dhule.
(with PTI inputs)
