Maha Cong meet on Feb 23 to discuss readiness for local polls

Maharashtra Congress's parliamentary board will meet here on February 23 to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state and the party's preparedness for the forthcoming local bodies polls.

During the meeting, convened by state Congress chiefNana Patole, the party also will finalize its strategy for an agitation against the Centre's new farm laws and fuel price rise, a statement issued the state Congress unit here said.

Elections to five municipal corporations - NaviMumbai, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Kalyan-Dombivli and Vasai-Virar- and 98 municipal councils in the state are due this year.

The Congress is part of the Shiv Sena-led Maha VikasAghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, and most of the state Congress leaders want their party to go alone in the local level elections.

Patole and Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap have also conveyed to the Congress high-command that the party wants to go alone in elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) due in February next year.

During the state, parliamentary board meeting on February 23, All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra H K Patil, state Revenue Minister and CongressLegislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, PWD minister and former CM Ashok Chavan, and former Union ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde will be present, the statement said.

Besides, Patole will also hold meetings here with leaders of various district and city units to discuss how to strengthen the organization.

On February 24, Patole will meet leaders of NaviMumbai, Kalyan, Vasai-Virar and Kolhapur party units.

He will hold meetings with Aurangabad city and rural district committees, and Bhandara, Gondia and Thane rural district committees on February 25.

On February 26, leaders of the Congress's units inYavatmal, and Chandrapur city and rural district committees will meet Patole for a review, the statement said.

The interactions will end with a public meeting of Congress workers at Bhiwandi in neighboring Thane on February 26 evening, it added.