Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole revealed on Tuesday that his party is contemplating contesting four seats in the Legislative Council elections as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Despite attempts to reach out to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, there has been no success thus far. Patole expressed optimism that a decision would be reached soon, given the remaining time to withdraw nominations.
The announcement has been made for the elections to four seats in the Legislative Council, comprising two teacher constituencies and two graduate constituencies. These elections will take place in the Mumbai and Konkan graduate constituencies, as well as the Nashik and Mumbai teacher constituencies. Scheduled for June 10, the election will be followed by vote counting on June 13.
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) has already declared candidates for the Konkan, Mumbai, and Nashik constituencies despite being part of the MVA alliance.
During a press conference at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai, Patole stated, "Elections are slated for the Konkan, Mumbai, and Nashik graduate and teacher constituencies. The Congress had expressed its intention to contest the Legislative Council elections from the Konkan graduate and Nashik constituencies. However, the Shiv Sena has independently announced candidates for the Konkan, Nashik, and Mumbai constituencies. Emphasizing the need for collective decision-making, the Congress believes that the Mahavikas Aghadi could replicate the success of the Lok Sabha elections through cohesive efforts." Patole further remarked, "Despite our attempts to contact Uddhav Thackeray, who is currently abroad, and our subsequent efforts today to reach out to Matoshree, we have been unsuccessful. Nonetheless, there is still time, and a resolution can be attained through dialogue."
Regarding the NEET exam scandal, Patole lamented, "The NEET exam scandal has shattered the aspirations of countless students striving to pursue a career in medicine. This examination, controlled by the central government, has become a breeding ground for corruption. Parents invest substantial sums to enable their children to pursue a medical profession, only to face severe disillusionment due to this corruption. The BJP's agenda appears to be hindering the prospects of aspiring doctors from ordinary, financially disadvantaged families. We demand a return to the previous NEET exam format and urge for a CBI investigation into the corruption, with stringent punishment for the perpetrators."
In response to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's assertion that 'True Sevak is not arrogant,' Patole remarked, "The BJP's national president J.P. Nadda has explicitly stated that the BJP no longer relies on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Hence, it seems improbable that the government will heed any counsel from Mohan Bhagwat."