Mumbai: In a show of solidarity among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance constituents ahead of Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend the birth anniversary celebrations of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi organised by their alliance partner Congress in Mumbai on August 20. The MVA is likely to sound the poll bugle during the event.Pawar and Thackeray will share the stage with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala in a convention at the Shanmukhananda Hall in Central Mumbai organised by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) to mark the birth anniversary of the former PM. Mumbai is the birthplace of Rajiv Gandhi, who was also a former Congress President. The Congress has planned several programmes in Mumbai to mark the birth anniversary. The party is also expected to hold a rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex on this occasion. State Congress leaders like Maharashtra party president Nana Patole, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Vijay Wadettiwar and Mumbai Congress chief and MP Varsha Gaikwad will also be present for the convention at the Shanmukhananda Hall. The event comes on the backdrop of ongoing talks among the MVA constituents – the Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) – for the upcoming Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha polls. All three parties have announced plans to contest the polls together. Last week, the MVA alliance held a joint meeting of leaders and office-bearers in Mumbai to increase coordination among the three alliance partners. In the meeting, Thackeray demanded the alliance declare its Chief Ministerial face in advance for the polls. He also expressed readiness to support any leader from the Congress or NCP (SP) for the CM’s post.
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