Congress plans assessment of 9 Lok Sabha seats it lost in 2009

As part of its preparations for forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has planned assessment of nine parliamentary constituencies which it lost in 2009 and also a mass contact programme in all Assembly segments.
The assessment of political situation in nine Lok Sabha constituencies will be taken up after monsoon and Ganesh festival in September.
Out of 48 Lok Sabha seats, Congress had contested 26 seats and won 17 in 2009.
"Similarly, a mass contact programme in all assembly segments is being chalked out and will be conducted from September to February next year," sources said.
According to sources, Zilla Parishad polls for Dhule, Nandurbar, Akola and Washim are also scheduled around October-November. "This will be an additional exercise to galvanise the grass-root workers," sources said, adding that the priority will be to consolidate the party in the nine Lok Sabha seats in which it faced defeat.

Sources also said that occasional bickering notwithstanding, Congress and NCP alliance will remain intact.
"The opposition together or individually is in a disarray. Opposition unity is a far-fetched dream and they themselves have to be blamed for it. The opposition parties can not come to a consensus on whether to include new alliance partners," they said, referring to the 'Mahayuti' alliance of Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI and occasional demand to take Raj Thackeray-led MNS on board.
"Sena-BJP hardly pose any challenge for Congress-NCP combine as voters do not have a positive view on them for doing nothing for the common man," they added.