Maharashtra | Congress eyes 'winnable' candidates for upcoming assembly polls
The Congress will field only those candidates in the assembly polls who are known among masses (for their work) and whose names are proposed by people, said the state unit chief
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday indicated that 'winnability' could be the criterion for finalising candidates for the upcoming assembly elections for which a survey is being conducted by the party.
He said Congress nominees will represent various castes and communities.
Speaking to reporters in Nanded, the Congress leader said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners will hold seat-sharing talks after August 16.
"The Congress will field only those candidates in the assembly polls who are known among masses (for their work) and whose names are proposed by people. The party has started a survey of aspirants who have sought tickets to contest as Congress nominees," he said.
Meeting of MVA allies
Patole said the seat-sharing deliberations will be held after a joint meeting of office-bearers of all three MVA allies - Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP), and Congress - is conducted.
"We held a preliminary meeting recently," he said.
Patole parried a query on MVA's potential chief ministerial face for elections and dared the ruling Mahayuti alliance- comprising Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP, and NCP headed by Ajit Pawar- to declare their CM candidate.
"The MVA's only aim is to defeat the ruling allies. MVA will fight the elections unitedly," he said.
In the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won the highest number of 13 seats in Maharashtra, a remarkable improvement from just one constituency it had won in 2019.
In the previous assembly elections, the Congress finished third behind undivided Shiv Sena and NCP by bagging 44 of 288 constituencies.
Patole said the MLAs who betrayed the Congress by cross-voting in recently held legislative council elections will not get tickets.
"You will get to know once poll tickets are finalised," he said when asked about the action taken against the legislators under the scanner.
Patole asserted only a caste census could resolve the reservations issue.
He alleged the Maharashtra government had copied the Congress' Lok Sabha poll manifesto that focused on various schemes for the youth, women, and unemployed.
‘Scheme with eye on polls’
He accused the Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti government of framing a popular scheme, an apparent reference to the "Majhi Ladki Bahin" scheme, with an eye on polls and assured to increase the monthly allowance for women if the MVA is elected.
The Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, announced in the state budget, proposes Rs 1,500 monthly financial assistance to eligible women in the 21 to 65 age group every month.
"If MVA comes to power, we will continue this scheme and increase the allowance," Patole said.
He said the Mahalaxmi scheme announced by Congress promised more money in the hands of eligible women.
The Congress announced the Mahalaxmi scheme during the Lok Sabha polls campaign promising Rs 1 lakh every year to the women of poor households.
(With agency inputs)
