Maharashtra polls: Cong sets up committees to hold negotiations with MVA partners

New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) Ahead of assembly elections in Maharashtra, the Congress on Friday constituted committees in its state and Mumbai units to hold seat-sharing negotiations with Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners.

The Congress is in alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) in the state and had contested the Lok Sabha polls as part of the coalition.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal to constitute the committees for Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee for holding negotiations with the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners, with immediate effect, the party statement said.

The Maharashtra PCC committee comprises state unit chief Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar, Prithviraj Chavan, Nitin Raut, Arif Naseem Khan and Satej (Bunty) Patil.

The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee comprised Varsha Gaikwad, Ashok Jagtap (Bhai Jagtap) and Aslam Shaikh.

Polls to the 288-member House in Maharashtra are scheduled to be held later this year.

In the recently held Lok Sabha polls, the MVA won 30 out of 48 seats with Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) winning eight, Shiv Sena-UBT nine and the Congress 13.

One Independent candidate later pledged support to the Congress. PTI ASK ASK TIR TIR