Mumbai: Buoyed by the stellar performance and emerging as the No 1 party in Maharashtra in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has set the ball in motion for the Vidhan Sabha polls expected to be held around October.
Of the 48 seats, the Congress, which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A), contested 17 seats and won 13 besides one Congress rebel too was elected as an Independent.
At Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai, which houses the headquarters of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, the newly-elected MPs were felicitated by All India Congress Committee in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, his Mumbai counterpart Prof Varsha Gaikwad, who too was elected MP, former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde, state Working President Naseem Khan, were present.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar was also present.
“We have won the Lok Sabha battle, now Vidhan Sabha is our target and we will fight the same way and bring the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state,” said Chennithala boosting the morale of Congress leaders and workers.
“The opposition parties have united to defeat the authoritarian government of the BJP and the people have expressed their confidence in the Congress party and the MVA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 18 public meetings in Maharashtra, did divisive politics by raking up issues of Mangalsutra, Hindu-Muslim, Pakistan, but the public did not fall prey to the misguided campaign of the BJP,” he said.
Patole, a former Speaker, said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra changed the atmosphere of the country and created a lot of confidence in the people.
“In the battle to save the country's democracy and constitution, he fought strongly against the dictatorial government and the people also stood by him, the people believed in Rahul Gandhi's guarantee. Due to hard work and strong organization skills of the workers, guidance of Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Congress party has achieved a big victory. This victory of Congress has the support of people of all castes and religions,” said Patole.
AICC general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Wasnik said on this occasion that the Congress party did not perform well in the 2019 elections, it contested 26 seats and won one seat. “But this time it contested 17 seats and won 13 seats. One Independent member was also elected. This success has been possible due to the guidance of the senior leaders of the party and the hard work of the workers. The guidance and contribution of President Mallikarjun Kharge, Soniaji Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi is very important in the victory of Lok Sabha,” he said.