In Maha, Cong taps rebels tipped to be winners

The ruling Congress in Maharashtra, tipped to emerge as the single largest party when the Assembly poll results are out on October 22, has begun sending feelers to rebels who have a strong chance of winning.

A senior Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) functionary said that party office bearers had already been asked to engage with the potential winners. “Though we do not see any major problem in forming the next government (with the Congress-NCP combine securing a majority on its own), the exercise has been initiated to ensure we have the numbers, just in case we fall short by few seats,” the senior functionary said.

He said the party leadership has identified a few rebels who stand a chance to win but declined to name them. The Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, too, is not lagging behind in the exercise to rustle up the necessary numbers. A senior BJP leader said, according to the party’s estimates, the Opposition combine expects to get 135 seats, 10 short of the magic figure of 145 in the 288-member state Assembly.

“Independents, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and few members of the Third Front will support us and we have already started talking to them,” the BJP leader said, pleading anonymity.