Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: AAP may consider contesting couple of seats in Maharashtra, says Party's Goa chief

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said it may consider fighting the next month's Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 on a couple of seats, reported news agency PTI.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is part of the opposition's INDIA bloc. In Maharashtra, three constituents of the INDIA bloc - Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) - are fighting the elections under the banner of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) against the ruling Mahayuti alliance, reported PTI.

Addressing a press conference at Kudal in Maharashtra's coastal Sindhudurg district on Friday, AAP's Goa unit president Amit Palekar said his party is working on strengthening its base in the Konkan belt, particularly in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts, and also in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, reported PTI.

The party has grown substantially in the Konkan belt, as the local population is looking at alternatives to BJP's Union minister Narayan Rane and his "politics of vendetta", he said.

"The AAP stands strongly with the INDIA bloc allies for the November 20 Maharashtra elections but if political developments permit, then the party may stake claim on a couple of seats where it is in a winnable position," Palekar said, reported PTI.

"There is a lot of pressure from the local party workers in Kolhapur as well as Sindhudurg to field party candidates for the upcoming elections," he said.

Palekar, who is the party's Sindhudurg district in-charge, said the residents of Konkan were respectful and could not tolerate the Rane family's "language of arrogance", reported PTI.

Clean and honest politics is the need of the hour and only dedicated politicians can do it, he noted.

SP has sought 12 seats from MVA to contest in Maharashtra assembly polls: Akhilesh Yadav

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has asked for 12 seats from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, party chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav said on Saturday.

Talking to reporters in north Maharashtra's Dhule district, Yadav said his party has declared candidates on a few seats where it has sitting MLAs and also in constituencies where it feels it is strong, reported PTI.

Yadav said his party is the one that is satisfied with a few seats.

The Uttar Pradesh-based party founded by Mulayam Singh Yadav is a constituent of the opposition's INDIA bloc at the national level.

In Maharashtra, three parties - Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) - which are also part of the INDIA bloc, are contesting the elections as part of the MVA alliance.

The Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 will be held on November 20.

(With inputs from PTI)