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Journalism of Courage
From being seen as the “third ally” in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as the coalition was formed after the Maharashtra elections in 2019 to a reversal in fortunes spurred by its better-than-expected performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress finds itself in a position in the poll-bound state where it may not have imagined itself earlier this year.
The party that failed to negotiate for the post of Deputy CM in 2019 is now trying to contest the most seats in the coming Assembly elections and, according to insiders, has set its sights on the chief ministerial post. Of the three parties in the MVA, the Congress performed the best in the Lok Sabha elections, winning 13 of the 17 parliamentary seats it contested and since then Sangli MP Vishal Prakashbabu Patil, an Independent, has also extended support to the party. The Shiv Sena (UBT) of Uddhav Thackeray contested 21 and won nine Lok Sabha seats while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) won eight of the 10 constituencies where it put up candidates.
In the party, a lot of credit has been given to the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala who delegated responsibilities to regional leaders before the Lok Sabha elections and directed them to focus their efforts only in the areas assigned to them. Sources in the Congress said the second-rank leadership was assured that if they managed to deliver results, they would have an upper hand in ticket distribution for the Assembly polls.
“The Congress has a strong base in Maharashtra. The regional leaders can deliver results if they see a better future ahead,” said a senior party leader.
According to MVA sources, the Congress is looking to contest 110-115 seats of the total 288, leaving 90-95 seats for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and 80-85 seats for the NCP (SP). Though nothing has been finalised yet, sources in the Congress said the party high command was unlikely to agree to anything less than 100 seats.
Early August, Uddhav Thackeray travelled to Delhi to discuss seat-sharing with the Congress high command. While he is learnt to have insisted on contesting around 100 seats, the Congress is said to have given a presentation on the electoral strength of each party in Maharashtra, based on which the Sena (UBT) is unlikely to get so many seats.
The Congress has repeatedly conveyed to its allies that the alliance’s CM face won’t be declared before the polls, with Delhi conveying to the state leadership not to act like a “big brother” in the coalition and avoid staking claim on the top job. However, state leaders have continued to make the claim, directly or indirectly.
Two weeks ago, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the next CM would be from the Congress. Then, at a recent party even in Nagpur, several leaders referred to state Congress leader Nana Patole as the next Maharashtra CM. Despite initial discontent against Patole, what has worked for him is his clean image and the fact that he is not seen as belonging to any faction in the state unit. At present, the Congress is the only party in the MVA with a pan-Maharashtra presence and a league of second-rank local satraps across communities.
Following its Lok Sabha poll strategy, the Congress has already completed regional meetings, with Chennithala travelling across the state along with Patole and other senior leaders. “The people of Maharashtra have decided to defeat the BJP. Our travels in Maharashtra’s different parts have shown anger against the BJP and the state government. We are sure that the MVA will form the next government,” Chennithala said at a press conference in Mumbai last week.
