The political environment in Maharashtra is conducive for the Congress and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), and the alliance will win most seats in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, said senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday, reported the PTI.

Talking to reporters in Maharashtra`s Gadchiroli, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Maharashtra said that the discussions on seat sharing among the MVA partners Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP group under Sharad Pawar is in the final stage, as per the PTI.

“Let`s fight the Lok Sabha elections unitedly. Rahul Gandhi`s `Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra` is being held to maintain social harmony in the country,” he said, the news agency reported on Saturday.

Maharashtra sends 48 MPs, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh`s 80, to the Lok Sabha.

The country faces a significant challenge in the form of bigoted forces. These forces need to be tackled with equal strength in the upcoming elections, he said.

He said that Rahul Gandhi embarked upon the `Bharat Jodo Yatra` from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to unite the country and boost social harmony.

Now the `Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra` is underway from Manipur to Mumbai, he added.

The upcoming elections are very important for democracy in the country and everyone needs to be united for it, he stressed.

Ramesh Chennithala expressed confidence that there is a positive atmosphere for the Congress and the MVA in Maharashtra, and the three-party alliance will win the most number of seats in the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had won in 23 constituencies, followed by the undivided Shiv Sena, which bagged 18 seats. While the NCP had got four seats, one seat each went to the Congress, AIMIM and an Independent candidate.

The senior Congress leader said they held a review meeting of the party`s Nagpur division in Gadchiroli on Saturday. The first such meeting was held for its Amravati division earlier this week.

Ramesh Chennithala said, “the Congress has organised division-wise review meetings to discuss the upcoming general elections,” the PTI reported.

“There is a need to fight together against the forces that are destroying the country. The BJP government is misusing ED and CBI to suppress the voices of opposition parties. A big challenge has arisen to maintain peace and harmony in the country,” he said.

Ramesh Chennithala also accused the BJP of politicising Lord Ram and creating conflicts between communities over reservation. Issues like inflation, unemployment, farmers, and social harmony are important, and the Congress party will emphasise them in the elections, he said.

Asked about seat-sharing, he said a meeting was held in Delhi about it, and a second discussion will be held soon. After that, a final decision will be taken, he said.

In the wake of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he said, the Congress has organised a camp on February 17 and 18 at Lonavala near Mumbai which will be attended by about 300 leaders and party officials.

While Rahul Gandhi will inaugurate the camp online, it will be concluded by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, he said.

Ramesh Chennithala said the BJP had formed the government in Karnataka by sabotage but the people of the state defeated it in last year`s assembly elections.

Even in Maharashtra, ED and CBI have been misused, and the government has been formed by splitting parties, he said, referring to the upheavals in the Shiv Sena and NCP.

In the upcoming elections, people will show the BJP its place, just like they did in Karnataka, he said.

(with PTI inputs)

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