MPCC gets into election mode, reaches out to grassroot

In its bid to reach out to party grassroot ahead of the 2014 general and Assembly elections, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has planned a series of meetings to strengthen the organisation.
The state unit, headed by Manikrao Thakre, will hold division-wise meetings of the party's block and district presidents in the next 45 days. The first such meeting was held in Amravati yesterday.
"Congress is all set to improve its performance in the forthcoming polls in 2014. The party improved its tally in 2004 and 2009 Assembly elections unlike the opposition Shiv Sena and BJP," Thakre told reporters today.

The next such meeting will be held at Pimpri Chinchwad for Pune division on June 19, at Thane on June 20, Aurangabad on June 24 and at Shirdi for north Maharashtra division on June 26, he said.
"The MPCC is also simultaneously preparing for Zilla Parishad polls in four districts, including Dhule, Nandurbar, Washim and Akola, and also the municipal elections in Sangli, Jalgaon, Dhule and Ahmednagar in immediate future," the MPCC president said.
Congress managed to overcome the split caused by NCP in 1999 and has gradually improved its performance in the last two Assembly elections, he said.

"Even in the previous Lok Sabha polls Congress won 19 out of 26 seats," he added.

Replying to a query on when the posts of chairman at various state-run boards and corporations will be filled, Thakre said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was finalising the contours of the exercise with the party high-command.
He dismissed reports regarding his likely induction in the state Cabinet and of being replaced as the state unit chief.
On the Mumbai Mahalaxmi Racecourse issue, Thakre said he had no difference of opinion with the Chief Minister.
Thakre had reportedly said that the Racecourse lease, which expired recently, should not be renewed, contrary to the stand of Prithiviraj Chavan on the issue.