Day after announcement of poll dates, Opposition tries to get its act together

Political activity in Maharashtra’s Opposition camp intensified on Monday, a day after the Election Commission of
India announced the dates for the Lok Sabha elections.

In New Delhi, Congress central election committee (CEC) under party national president Rahul Gandhi met to finalise the candidate list for the seats in Maharashtra.

Following the meeting, the Congress is expected to release its first list of candidates soon. Sources said names of former state chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde (Solapur); former Union ministers Mukul Wasnik (Ramtek) and Milind Deora (Mumbai-South); former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre (Yavatmal); sitting MP Rajeev Satav (Hingoli); former MP Priya Dutt (Mumbai North Central); former state minister Rohidas Patil (Dhule); state Congress chief Ashok Chavan’s wife and sitting MLA Ameeta Chavan (Nanded); sitting MLA K C Padvi (Nandurbar), state unit head of Mahila Congress Charulata Tokas (Wardha) and former MLA Dr Namdeo Usendi (Gadchiroli) are expected to figure in the first list.

Maharashtra, with 48 seats, sends the second highest number of members to the Lok Sabha after Uttar Pradesh. With a lot at stake, the Congress CEC has decided to go with experienced hands this election, a senior state leader said.

The same day, the Congress high command also directed the party’s state leadership — office-bearers were in New Delhi for the CEC meeting — to finalise the poll pact with smaller and regional outfits in Maharashtra. While the Congress and NCP have already firmed up a pre-poll alliance, the Congress has been keen to cobble up a grand alliance involving other regional outfits to challenge the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena in the state.

But so far, only Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), which holds sway in Raigad and some Assembly segments in western Maharashtra, has come on board. With sitting MP Raju Shetti’s Swabhimaani Shetkari Sanghthana (SSS) issuing an ultimatum to the Congress and the NCP to finalise the poll pact on Sunday, Rahul has directed the state Congress leaders to expedite talks with him.

While the NCP has decided to back Shetti’s candidature from Kolhapur’s Hatkanangle seat, the SSS wants two more seats — Wardha from the Congress’ quota and Buldhana from the NCP’s quota — which both these parties have declined to offer.

Aware that the SSS can influence the poll result in a few other Lok Sabha constituencies in its own bastion of western Maharashtra, the NCP wants the Congress to offer the SSS another one. In the case of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while the Congress had sounded its willingness to offer the Palghar seat to the party, which has also been angling for north Maharashtra’s Dindori seat falling in the NCP quota.