Rahul Gandhi today held deliberations with Congress leaders from Maharashtra on the strategy for Lok Sabha and assembly elections at a time when the party is in a buoyant mood after the victory in Sangli civic body polls.
Several senior leaders, including Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, PCC president Manikrao Thakre, senior Maharashtra minister Narayan Rane were present at the meeting with the Congress Vice President.
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan, whose name is doing the rounds as next PCC chief, was also present so also AICC general secretaries Gurudas Kamat and Mukul Wasnik.
Union Minister Pratik Patil, who played a key role in the Sangli municipal corporation elections, was also present. Grandson of late chief minister Vasantdada Patil, Pratik is MP from Sangli.
In Sangli polls, Congress ousted Sharad Pawar's NCP from power. After the result, a section of Congressmen have been advocating that Congress should go on its own in the state.
Some party leaders complained about the way NCP targetted Congress during the polls while some said a meeting of the Congress-NCP coordination committee should be held at the earliest.
Congress and NCP are sharing power in Maharashtra since 1999, a few months after Pawar had parted ways with Congress over the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin. NCP is part of Congress-led UPA since 2004.
After the meeting, the Maharashtra Chief Minister called on Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
