Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi: A day after the announcement of election dates, the Congress said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had concluded seat-sharing on around 80 percent of the 288 assembly seats, fast tracked the process.
Party insiders said the selection of seats as well as the shortlisting of candidates was being done with great care as the Congress was likely to contest between 105 to 110 seats.
The party insiders noted that they had put in place a plan to curb the chances of rebels and independents, having learnt their lessons from the recent Haryana assembly polls where the Congress lost around 17 seats because of the problem.
“Around 80 percent of the seat-sharing has been completed. The remaining 20 percent seats will also be decided soon. The discussions are taking place in a cordial atmosphere and some adjustments would have to be done in a normal course,” AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra BM Sandeep told.
According to party insiders while the senior leaders of the MVA comprising Shiv Sena UBT- ncp-sp- Congress were fast tracking the seat-sharing talks in Mumbai, the screening committee will start clearing the names of candidates on the sure seats from Wednesday.
“These are the seats which the Congress is going to get. We will discuss the names and keep the first list ready for announcement,” a senior AICC functionary said.
For the remaining seats, the feedback obtained from the observers and coordinators deployed by the party is being factored in shortlisting the probable nominees.
“The main focus is on three things, selection of seats we want, identifying the best candidate there and reducing any chances of a rebel or an independent nominee who can mar our prospect,” a senior AICC functionary said.
According to party insiders, AICC in charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala held a strategy session with the observers and coordinators who had been deployed by the party on all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in Mumbai on Oct 15. All the observers and coordinators were senior leaders from across the country barring Maharashtra. The screening panel headed by veteran Madhusudan Mistry will meet in Delhi on Wednesday.
According to party insiders, the internal surveys had predicted around 180 seats for the MVA but had also cautioned against any complacency on part of the opposition grouping.
“We are confident but not over confident. Our Parivartan yatra across the Sion Koliwada assembly constituency over the past week received very good response from the voters. I am sure the MVA is going to win and the voters will defeat the corrupt Mahayuti government,” AICC functionary Ganesh Kumar Yadav who is seeking a ticket from Sion Koliwada seat told.
AICC functionary BM Sandeep slammed the “state government’s decision to hike the minimum stamp duty to Rs 500 and scrapping the Rs 100 and Rs 200 stamps,” saying it was a harsh blow to the common man and will further burden the people.
“The move will make everyday transactions more expensive. At a time when the public was already struggling with rising prices, such a decision was unjustified and unfair. I strongly condemn this anti-people policy, which serves only to deepen the financial strain on ordinary citizens,” he added.
