Rahul Gandhi Launches Congress Campaign in Maharashtra Amid Unclear CM Face

Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge head to Maharashtra to kickstart the party's election campaign. The Congress, in alliance with UBT Sena and NCP-SP, remains confident of winning the state even without a declared candidate for Chief Minister. Public meetings and statue unveilings are scheduled.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, departed for Maharashtra on Thursday to launch the Congress campaign for the upcoming state elections. Party President Mallikarjun Kharge also joins him. The Congress forms part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with UBT Sena and NCP-SP.

Upon arrival, Gandhi is set to unveil a statue of the late Patangrao Kadam in Wangi at around 1 PM before addressing a public meeting in Kadegaon at 1.45 PM. The Congress' official social media channel urged followers to stay updated through live posts.

Sharad Pawar, leader of the NCP-SP, has confirmed that no decision on the Chief Ministerial candidate will be made until after the elections. He emphasized past instances where alliances successfully went to polls without a CM face. Pawar remains confident in MVA's majority win in the impending elections.

Addressing the press in Kolhapur, Pawar highlighted that choosing a CM candidate after elections is not unprecedented, referencing the 1977 scenario where Morarji Desai was selected as Prime Minister post-election. The MVA aims to follow a similar strategy, focusing on election results before selecting their leader.

(With inputs from agencies.)