Mumbai, Sep 6 (IANS): The Congress has completed a review of its preparation for the Maharashtra assembly elections in 172 seats and will finish the process for all the 288 seats by September 25, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala said here on Friday.
He exuded confidence that there is "an atmosphere of change in the state" which is favourable for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) this time.
"The people of the state are ready for a change… There is a strong belief that the corrupt MahaYuti government will be ousted and the MVA will return to power with a two-third majority," asserted Chennithala, at a media briefing.
Citing several factors for the party's assessment of a strong comeback for the MVA, he pointed out to the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state with an increase in crimes against women, murders, robberies and other criminal activities, besides inflation, unemployment and other problems plaguing the masses.
"Pune saw two murders in three days recently… crimes against women are going up. Inflation has spiraled out of control making it difficult for people to even celebrate festivals. The common masses are hugely distressed, but the MahaYuti government is busy in scams and collecting money," alleged Chennithala.
Speaking on the occasion, state Congress President Nana F. Patole said that floods have hit many parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada regions in the state, wreaking havoc, damaging or destroying crops in over 12 lakhs acres and claiming 12 lives so far.
"Several roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been washed away, yet the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre has ignored the state and treated it unfairly. When Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were in the grip of floods, two central ministries were deployed, the agriculture and finance ministers made strenuous efforts to provide immediate assistance," said Patole.
However, in the case of Maharashtra, even a central team has yet to arrive and questioned the MahaYuti government why it had not sought central help or assistance for the people of the state.
Taking a swipe at BJP's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis' claims on the record FDI received in the first quarter (April-June 2024), Patole said "then why is the unemployment rate still so high, why is inflation not decreasing", and accused the BJP of making false statements.