Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala announced Thursday that all party rebels running against official candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections have been suspended for six years.
Speaking at a press conference, Chennithala said district units have been instructed to compile a list of rebel candidates still in the race for the November 20 polls and issue notices to them.
“There will be no friendly fights,” Chennithala said. “All rebels contesting against the MVA’s official candidates have been suspended,” added the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra.
The MVA, an opposition alliance, consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray, and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Chennithala also confirmed that the MVA’s manifesto would be released on November 10. He announced that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would all campaign for MVA candidates in Maharashtra. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Telangana are also expected to join the campaign.
Kharge will be in Maharashtra for five days starting November 13, while Rahul Gandhi will campaign on November 12, 14, and 16. Priyanka Gandhi will visit the state on November 13, 16, and 17.