The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance in Maharashtra has requested rebels to withdraw from the fray in the assembly elections as the last date for withdrawals concluded on Saturday.
A cell has been created in Mumbai to speak to the rebels. Senior leaders, including NCP President Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Pradesh Congress Committee President Prabha Rau and Mumbai Congress chief Gurudas Kamat coordinated the efforts.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Margaret Alva said in New Delhi that the alliance did not face a problem of rebels, and finally there will be 'only three or four such candidates' in the fray.
She said Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and the Lok Janshakti's Ram Vilas Paswan would not campaign against the Congress despite the party not allotting any seat to their parties.
She said Congress President Sonia Gandhi campaign schedule was being prepared. She indicated there would be two to three joint rallies by Gandhi and Pawar as the two leaders would be able to cover more areas if they campaigned separately.
In Pune, Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi said on Saturday that differences within the party's city unit had been sorted out.
Kalmadi said his so-called differences with Congress city unit President Mohan Joshi, who was miffed over being denied a ticket for the October 13 assembly election, were over. Joshi may be made a Legislative Council member.
A Congress worker in the city for over three decades, Joshi sulked after he was denied a ticket from Bhavani Peth constituency in Pune. The seat has gone to the NCP.