Mumbai, Aug 16 (IANS): The upcoming Aug 31-Sep 1 National Opposition parties’ conclave will provide a ‘new direction to the country’ on how to uproot the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the country, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said on Wednesday.

Emerging after a Congress Core Committee meeting, Patole said that the aim is to dislodge the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state and bring back the Congress and allies to power.

“Maharashtra is a state attuned to the Congress ideology… There is an expectation that if the Congress and its allies fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections unitedly, they can together win 40-45 seats (out of total 48). We are preparing for that. Our target is the BJP and the Congress will contest against them with all the parties that join us,” declared Patole.

He pointed out that all the likeminded parties are concerned with burning issues like soaring inflation, massive unemployment, farmers problems and increasing suicides, businesses shutting down or not functional, etc confronting the state and the nation.

Patole said 218 youths have committed suicide only in Pune and the situation was equally grim in other parts of the state, but “the BJP’s tendency is to cling to power at all costs, even if people die.”

Patole also referred to the ongoing political row over Maha Vikas Aghadi ally, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar’s meeting with his nephew and breakaway NCP leader Ajit Pawar, now Deputy CM.

“There is no confusion about this in the MVA-Congress, but only among the people… Sharad Pawar has made it clear that he will remain with the MVA. Our senior leaders are keeping an eye on the developments and the top leadership will take it up during the I.N.D.I.A. meeting,” said Patole.

The Congress Core Committee was attended by two Central representatives of President Mallikarjun Kharge, ex-CM’s Sushilkumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, M. Arif Naseem Khan, Basavaraj Patil, Kunal Patil Milind Deora, Satej Patil, Devanand Pawar, Atul Londhe, Pramod More and others.

The upcoming National Opposition meeting, which saw 26 parties in July in Bengaluru, is likely to witness some more parties joining the alliance at the Mumbai conclave, a party source indicated.