MVA seat-sharing talks on; CM to be declared after results: Congress

Latur (Maharashtra): Congress on Saturday stated that the chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance will be declared after the Maharashtra assembly elections even though the allies have already started their seat-sharing talks.

BJP leaders claimed earlier this week that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray visited Delhi and met top Congress leaders only to ensure that he would be the chief ministerial candidate of the MVA.

Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) are the chief constituents of the opposition alliance, pitted against the ruling `Mahayuti' coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

Congress in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala said the MVA will contest the coming state elections unitedly.

"Preliminary seat-sharing talks have started and we will contest the elections unitedly," he told reporters after a meeting of party office-bearers from Latur, Beed and Dharashiv districts in central Maharashtra here.

Asked about who would be the chief ministerial candidate, state Congress president Nana Patole said saving Maharashtra's self-respect was their priority. "The chief minister will be declared after the results, after consulting the (new) MLAs," he said.

The Eknath Shinde-led government announced the `Laadki Bahin' scheme -- where eligible women are paid Rs 1500 per month -- with an eye on the elections, Patole said.

"(Deputy chief minister) Ajit Pawar says people should vote for the Mahayuti because the MVA will scrap the scheme. This shows that the scheme is meant for votes. The government speaks of `Ladki Bahin' (favourite sister) but provides no facilities to the women who have arrived in Mumbai from different parts of the state for police recruitment. They are sleeping on railway platforms and at bus stops in the rainy season," he said.