The Maharashtra Congress will decide next week whether to form alliances with other parties for the upcoming local body elections in the state, party sources said on Saturday.
The decision will be taken at a meeting of the Maharashtra Congress Parliamentary Board, scheduled for November 12, they said.
Discussions will first be held with all district presidents, following which senior state leaders will deliberate and take a final call, the sources added.
The meeting is expected to decide whether the Congress should ally with its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).
According to Congress insiders, there is opposition within the party against any tie-up with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Over the past few months, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray have been dropping hints of joining hands ahead of the upcoming local body polls.
Congress sources said their district parliamentary boards are in the process of completing interviews of aspirants and shortlisting probable candidates for the 246 Nagar parishads and 42 Nagar panchayats polls scheduled for December 2.
"We have received over 35,000 applications from aspirants for 6,859 seats," the sources said.
Filing of nominations for the December 2 polls will start on November 10.
The sources claimed that the Congress stands a good chance in the polls as rural voters are "angry" with the government over the relief package for flood-hit farmers and the "vote theft" issue, which they say has resonated at the grassroots level.
"The undercurrents are good for us," said a Congress leader.
According to party leaders, the state unit has adopted micro-level planning to prepare for the local polls. They said training programmes for Congress' booth chiefs have been completed.
"Block level leaders are overseeing the election strategy locally and district unit chiefs are handling their respective areas, while key leaders are looking after activities at the division level, strategising and campaigning," the sources said.
The State Election Commission is yet to declare the poll schedule for 29 municipal corporations, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis, where elections are to be completed by January 31, 2026.
"We have told our local leaders to take a call on alliances as per the political situation at the grassroots level only with Congress-led INDIA bloc parties," they said, adding that none of the district-level leaders have said that there should be an alliance with the MNS.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which was formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, comprises more than two dozen opposition parties.
The decision will be taken at a meeting of the Maharashtra Congress Parliamentary Board, scheduled for November 12, they said.
Discussions will first be held with all district presidents, following which senior state leaders will deliberate and take a final call, the sources added.
The meeting is expected to decide whether the Congress should ally with its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).
According to Congress insiders, there is opposition within the party against any tie-up with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Over the past few months, Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray have been dropping hints of joining hands ahead of the upcoming local body polls.
Congress sources said their district parliamentary boards are in the process of completing interviews of aspirants and shortlisting probable candidates for the 246 Nagar parishads and 42 Nagar panchayats polls scheduled for December 2.
"We have received over 35,000 applications from aspirants for 6,859 seats," the sources said.
Filing of nominations for the December 2 polls will start on November 10.
The sources claimed that the Congress stands a good chance in the polls as rural voters are "angry" with the government over the relief package for flood-hit farmers and the "vote theft" issue, which they say has resonated at the grassroots level.
"The undercurrents are good for us," said a Congress leader.
According to party leaders, the state unit has adopted micro-level planning to prepare for the local polls. They said training programmes for Congress' booth chiefs have been completed.
"Block level leaders are overseeing the election strategy locally and district unit chiefs are handling their respective areas, while key leaders are looking after activities at the division level, strategising and campaigning," the sources said.
The State Election Commission is yet to declare the poll schedule for 29 municipal corporations, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in Mumbai, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis, where elections are to be completed by January 31, 2026.
"We have told our local leaders to take a call on alliances as per the political situation at the grassroots level only with Congress-led INDIA bloc parties," they said, adding that none of the district-level leaders have said that there should be an alliance with the MNS.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which was formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, comprises more than two dozen opposition parties.
