Congress' CEC meeting for Maharashtra, Jharkhand polls on Monday

Leaders of the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties are involved in the ongoing seat-sharing talks to break the impasse as the state is set to go to polls on November 20.

The Congress’ Central Election Committee will hold its meeting on Monday to finalize candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly polls.

The CEC meeting for Maharashtra was to take place this evening but was postponed, with party leaders citing various reasons from Karwa Chauth to holding meetings for both states on the same day as the reason for the deferment. Some leaders said that the BJP had declared its first list of candidates for Maharashtra and that some discussions were needed for particular seats, while seat-sharing talks among Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents were in the final phase. Leaders of the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties are involved in ongoing seat-sharing talks to break the impasse, as the state is set to go to polls on November 20.

The Congress’ panel for screening candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly polls had cleared names on 62 seats last week for consideration by the CEC. The party has announced the candidature of Ravindra Chavan—the son of Vasantrao Chavan, who passed away in August this year, necessitating a by-election for the Nanded parliamentary constituency.

In light of tensions between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over seat-sharing for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala met former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday. While Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) are yet to declare their seat-sharing arrangement, their INDIA bloc ally and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav has declared candidates for five of the 12 seats he is demanding.

Also on Sunday, a meeting for screening Jharkhand candidates was held at the AICC headquarters to finalize the proposed list of names to be presented before the CEC. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Patole, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, and Balasaheb Thorat attended a meeting on Monday at Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The MVA includes Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). The Election Commission announced that Maharashtra will vote in one phase on November 20 to elect its 288-member Assembly, while Jharkhand will go to polls in two phases on November 13 and 20. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced at a press conference that the counting of votes for the polls in the two states will be held on November 23, a day before the current Maharashtra Assembly completes its term.