Maha Vikas Aghadi commences drafting of joint manifesto

Mumbai: At a time when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A) are holding back-to-back meetings in Mumbai and New Delhi, the work for drafting of a common manifesto has commenced under the leadership of former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The three parties - Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) - are planning to hold a meeting of top leaders and officer bearers on 16 August, which would kickstart the campaign trail.

Coinciding with the birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi on 20 August, the Congress will sound the bugle for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections from Mumbai, the birthplace of the late prime minister.

While Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will fly down from the national capital for the celebrations, Thackeray and Pawar are expected to join.

In Mumbai, the leadership of the MVA met on Wednesday to take the stock of the progress made in going ahead.

Those present in the meeting include state Congress President Nana Patole, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiewar, his counterpart in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, NCP (SP) state unit President Jayant Patil, Rajesh Tope, Anil Deshmukh and Sunil Bhusara, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vinayak Raut.

The manifesto is being drafted under the leadership of former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The developments come at a time when Thackeray is travelling to New Delhi to meet top I.N.D.I.A leaders.

“In the Mumbai meeting, all three party leaders were present. All three parties discussed our manifesto, our formula, and our future course of action. We have planned to organise a big rally or a meeting on 16 August at Shanmukhananda Hall,” said Wadettiwar.

Earlier in the day, after a separate meeting of the Congress, Patole said that there is ‘neither any big Brother nor any small brother’ and the opposition MVA alliance will unite to contest the upcoming October Assembly elections.

Dismissing the contention that the Congress was allegedly behaving like a ‘big brother’, Patole said: “We are going to face the elections as MVA and the seat allocation would be done on merits. The post of Chief Minister shall be decided after the elections. Leaders of the MVA including those of Congress, Thackeray and Pawar and other leaders will finalise the seat-sharing deal,” said Patole.