"Maharashtra has given a clear message ...": Kharge

New Delhi [India], June 26 : The Congress on Tuesday held a meeting of its leaders from Maharashtra to formulate a strategy for the assembly elections that are slated to be held this year, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the country is now looking towards change and Maharashtra has given a clear message of this in the Lok Sabha elections.
The tenure of the Maharashtra Assembly ends on November 26 .
Having performed well in the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra Congress is now gearing up to strike big in the upcoming state elections and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Stepping up his attacks on the BJP, Kharge said that the party pushed people into unemployment and inflation. He said, "Congress had made Maharashtra the most prosperous and developed state of the country, but the BJP government has destroyed the industries and pushed the people into the vicious circle of unemployment and inflation. Farmers have been subjected to the most injustice."
He further said, "The country is now looking towards change. Maharashtra has given a clear message of this."
The Congress President further asserted that the party will now prepare for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. "We have to start preparing for the elections. This is our biggest responsibility. Today the leaders of Maharashtra Congress discussed the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections," Kharge said.
Kharge praised the party's performance in Maharashtra in the recently concluded 18th Lok Sabha elections and said the party made Maharashtra the most prosperous and developed state of the country.
Taking to his official X handle, Kharge posted, "In Maharashtra, we fought the Lok Sabha elections in completely opposite circumstances. I congratulate every leader and worker of Maharashtra Congress for the good performance of the party, I congratulate the booth agents, and we thank the people of Maharashtra."
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said that the "Save Constitution campaign" initiated by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and the party national president Mallikarjun Kharge gave a big victory to the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state in the recently held Lok Sabha election.
"In the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the effect of the Save Constitution campaign by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge was that the people of Maharashtra gave a big victory to the Maha Vikas Aghadi. A meeting has been held today regarding the victory and the upcoming elections in Maharashtra," Nana Patole told ANI after the meeting of Maharashtra Congress leaders with the party's central leadership here.
Former party chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, State leaders Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, Prithviraj Chavan, Vishwajeet Kadam, and others were present at the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Kharge at the party's headquarters in New Delhi.
The BJP bagged nine seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 against 23 in the 2019 LS polls; the Shiv Sena secured seven seats while the NCP managed to win one seat in Maharashtra.
The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' (MVA) alliance, on the other hand, bagged 30 seats with the Congress being 13, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) being eight, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) being nine.
Voting in the state of Maharashtra for 48 seats was concluded in the first five phases of the Lok Sabha elections.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP contested in 28 constituencies, while its allies Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) fought in 14 constituencies and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in five constituencies.
On the other hand, Maha Vikas Aghadi members Shiv Sena (UBT) contested in 21 constituencies, Congress in 17, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) in 10 constituencies.