After its bitter experience in Haryana Assembly polls where it failed to translate its expectations into votes, the once-bitten twice shy Congress leadership on Tuesday appointed as many as eleven senior observers and two senior coordinators to supervise the party matters during the State Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
On a day when the Election Commission of India (ECI) scheduled the Maharashtra Assembly polls for November 20, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) high command appointed 11 senior leaders drawn from various states as senior observers for five different regions in the state.
In addition, the Congress appointed the party’s senior leaders from Maharashtra -- Mukul Wasnik and Avinash Pande -- to oversee the details of the party’s candidate selection and electioneering during the polls.
That the Congress is not taking any chances in handling the State Assembly elections in Maharashtra can be seen from the choice of leaders chosen as senior observers for various regions for the State Assembly polls.
Rajasthan’s former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara have been chosen as the party’s senior observers for Mumbai and coastal Konkan regions respectively.
The responsibility of the politically crucial Vidarbha region has been entrusted to former chief minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab’s former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former minister and sitting MLA of Madhya Pradesh Umang Singhar.
Former deputy CM of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot and Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy have been chosen as senior observers for Marathwada region.
Western Maharashtra will be under former deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh T. S. Singh Deo and Karnataka Minister M. B. Patil.
Rajya Sabha Member from Karnataka Syed Nasir Hussain and Telangana Minister Dansari Anasuya popularly known as Seethakka have been nominated as senior observers for north Maharashtra.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Priyanka Gandhi will lead the campaign in Maharashtra.
The Congress-led Maha Vikas Agadhi had elicited wonderful response from the people across the State in the recent Lok Sabha polls, in which the three- party alliance had collectively won 31 out of total 48 seats.
After its unforgettable experience in Haryana where it failed to come to power despite expectation that it would post a comfortable victory in the state Assembly, the Congress high command has warned the party leaders in the state against bickering among them during the campaigning for the November 20 Assembly polls. Rahul Gandhi has asked the party leaders to put up a united face during the electioneering.
