Asserting that the Maharashtra Assembly polls were not a “kaun banega mukhyamantri” contest but a fight to form an MVA government, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said the coalition’s chief ministerial pick would be decided in a “smooth” manner after the results.In an interview with PTI, he also said the Congress was confident of securing a decisive mandate in Jharkhand and Maharashtra but was “extra watchful” to avoid a repeat of any Haryana-like “last-minute mischief” by the BJP and the local administration.
As the campaign heats up for the assembly polls in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, Ramesh dismissed suggestions that the momentum had shifted away from the INDIA bloc following the Congress’ defeat in Haryana and said the alliance was confident of securing a decisive mandate in the two states.
It is true that the result in Haryana was unexpected as far as the Congress is concerned. We are confident in Maharashtra where we have a very strong alliance, and we are very confident in Jharkhand where also we are fighting in an alliance,” the Congress general secretary in-charge communications said.
“We are confident but we are extra watchful, we don’t want a repeat of the Haryana situation in all the last-minute mischief that can be played by the BJP and the local administration. We are more watchful (this time),” he said.
The Congress has a positive agenda in Jharkhand and the alliance is running on the five years of achievements of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress government, he said.