Following its surprising success in the Lok Sabha elections, where it emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra, the Congress has swiftly turned its attention to the upcoming Assembly polls scheduled around October. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole emphasized the need for continued diligence, urging the party’s newly elected MPs to champion important issues in Parliament and advocate for the concerns of the people.
During an event to honor the party’s 13 new MPs from the state, Nana Patole underscored the significance of the upcoming elections, including zila parishad, gram panchayat, and state assembly polls. He stressed the importance of serving those who supported the party’s ascent to power.
Key party leaders, including Ramesh Chennithala, the Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, and others, attended the event. The presence of Congress rebel Vishal Patil, who won the Sangli Lok Sabha seat as an Independent and has pledged support to the party, highlighted the unity within the party ranks.
Echoing Patole’s sentiments, Chennithala affirmed the party’s commitment to contesting the Assembly polls vigorously. He assured that the candidate selection process, which involved consultations at the district level for the general elections, would be followed diligently for the state elections.
Addressing the pressing issues faced by Maharashtra, Patole highlighted concerns such as severe drought affecting 75% of the state, the water tank mafia, unemployment, and farmer suicides.
Additionally, leaders discussed the allocation of constituencies during seat-sharing talks with the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. Nana Patole expressed a desire for a larger share of seats, believing it would have posed a greater challenge for Narendra Modi’s government formation at the center.
