New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi will review the Congress' poll preparedness for the coming Maharashtra assembly elections along with senior AICC and state leaders on Oct 14, two days after the shocking murder of ex-party functionary Baba Siddiqui.
According to party insiders, the Monday meeting is crucial as Rahul Gandhi wants to review the Congress poll preparations, the progress in seat-sharing talks with allies Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP, the party’s campaign and the selection of candidates for the assembly elections scheduled by year-end.
The review meeting is significant as it comes in the wake of the recent poll loss in Haryana where infighting and faulty ticket distribution cost the Congress dear despite an opportunity for the grand old party to regain power after 10 years.
The review meeting comes in the background of the Congress blaming the Shiv Sena Shinde-BJP-NCP government in Maharashtra over its failure to secure the life of Baba Siddique despite recent threats and plans to make law and order a major election issue.
Siddique had left the Congress in February this year after spending decades with the grand old party to join the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, who is deputy chief minister. He was shot dead by three assailants on Oct 12 night in Mumbai in an incident which has resulted into a blame game between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Though the Congress had been miffed with Siddique for ditching the party after being three-term MLA and state minister, the grand old party condemned his killing and demanded the resignation of state home minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis.
“This is not a political murder. It seems like an extortion killing as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for murdering Baba Siddique. The Congress has demanded the resignation of state home minister Devendra Fadnavis over his failure to save Siddique who had received threats recently. There have been many such killings in the state this year which shows law and order failure. This is going to be a major poll issue,” former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan told ETV Bharat.
Chavan, a sitting MLA and an ex-union minister, charged the ruling Mahayuti had been taking money for transfer and postings of senior officials which had dented the law and order in the western state.
“This is common knowledge that the ruling alliance had been transferring senior officials including police officers for financial considerations. For instance, there are two police commissioners in state capital Mumbai who are believed to be close to two different ruling parties,” said Chavan.
According to the former chief minister, the chargesheet against the Mahayuti government released by the MVA flags the failures of the state government and includes issues like jobs, corruption and law and order failure which have been affecting the common people since chief minister Eknath Shinde came to power in 2022 after ousting the MVA government with the support of the bjp.
“The chargesheet has been prepared after feedback from the people. We will now take it to the voters across the state,” said Chavan.
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