In a veiled attack on the ally Nationalist Congress Party in the context of a past assembly election, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has said his party was "cheated" in 2014 and it is now preparing for the 2024 general elections keeping that in mind. Speaking to reporters here, Patole also said he was given the task to attack the opposition BJP and not the Sharad Pawar-led party or the Shiv Sena- all constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

"We (Congress) were cheated in 2014 (polls). We are now preparing for the next Lok Sabha elections keeping that in mind," said Patole, who often talks about the Congress contesting future elections solo. Patole was apparently referring to the NCP's move to contest the 2014 assembly elections in Maharashtra separately.
A faction of Congress believes that that decision of the NCP benefitted the BJP which won 122 seats and staked a claim for power.