All seats will be declared by Oct 26: Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge ahead of assembly polls

New Delhi [India], October 26 (ANI): Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge refuted claims of any rift in the alliance, and affirmed that Maha Vikas Aghadi will contest the upcoming assembly elections together and all candidates will be declared by today.

After attending the Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in Delhi, Chennithala said that Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat will meet Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday to sort out all the issues.

“All is well in Maharashtra, Maha Vikas Aghadi. We are going to fight the election together. There is no problem in Maha Vikas Aghadi. The problem is in Mahayuti. We are together and we are working out a formula, and by tomorrow all seats will be declared. In Mahayuti, the problem is much more. I have asked Balasaheb Thorat to meet Uddhav ji and Sharad Pawar ji to thrash out all the issues,” he told reporters on Friday.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said, “We are demanding some seats…On the seats we have got, we have tried to do justice to OBC (candidates).”

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat also confirmed that the party’s final list will be declared today.

“The final list is most likely to be released tomorrow…We will see if there is scope in seat adjustment and will hold talks with Uddhav Thackeray tomorrow, in line with both our demands,” Thorat told reporters.

The Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting of Congress for the selection of candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly polls was held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi on Friday.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal asserted that there are differences in the Maha Vikas Aghadi but MVA will settle them and fight the Maharashtra Assembly election together to bring back Maharashtra to its old glory.

Notably, the MVA is still facing the heat from one of its allies, the Samajwadi Party, who is demanding more seats from the alliance to contest in the polls.

Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra Chief Abu Azmi issued a stern warning to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, saying that if the party is not given five seats, it will be compelled to announce candidates on as many as 25 seats.

“I have announced five seats. They should give these five seats to me. I will wait because I don’t want votes to be divided. We don’t want to create a rift in the MVA for the sake of votes. If they do not include us, then I will announce candidates for 25 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are discussing certain seats every day but nothing is finalised,” SP leader Abu Azmi said.

Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress — have intensified their preparations for the upcoming elections to 288 Assembly seats in the State.

The BJP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance alongside the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.