Say Congress has done little for community during its 15-year reign in state. Panel appointed to meet political parties.Is the Congress losing its captive vote-bank in Maharashtra? At a meeting held on Tuesday night by M A Khalid of the All India Milli Council, Salim Alware of Konkan Vichar Manch and Shabbir Ahmed Ansari of the influential All India Muslim OBC Sanghatan, to decide who to vote for in the assembly polls, the loudest cheers were for speakers who suggested Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.“What worse can happen to us that the Congress hasn’t done already?” speaker after speaker asked the gathering of 60-odd social and political workers. “Let’s teach them a lesson by voting for the Sena-BJP. Let’s openly revolt against the Congress. We are ready to suffer the consequences for five years,” said Afroz from Kurla to applause.A few said there was no point wasting their votes on the Congress-NCP as all surveys showed the Sena-BJP was going to be elected. “We have to deal with those who are in power. Why not negotiate with them now with our heads held high instead of going to the Congress like beggars,” said one social worker from Mumbra.Some even suggested a positive vote for the Hindutva combine. “Narendra Modi is the democratically elected Prime Minister and it is our duty to love him,” said one.The speakers blamed the Congress for many reasons: from not fulfilling Muslim demands during its 15-year reign over the state, to imprisoning innocent Muslim youths under Pota, to not giving enough tickets to Muslims, but giving them to candidates who couldn't raise the right issues in the assembly. Congress-NCP Muslim MLAs have not done anything for the community, they said. The Congress was also blamed for keeping Muslims captive by using the “communal” bogey.“Why would the BJP-Sena ever approach us when they know we would never vote for them? Instead, they used our anti-Modi campaign to consolidate Hindu votes,” said Ghulam Peshimam, a well-known social worker.Some speakers felt that if Muslims were to vote for the Sena-BJP, there would be no opportunity for them to polarise voters. Political activist Dr Azimuddin recounted how once, Uddhav Thackeray told a Muslim delegation, “You have seen our enmity, but you haven’t seen our friendship.”Later, speaking to Mumbai Mirror, Ansari said that at the grassroots in Maharashtra there was anger against the Congress and a desire to give the Sena a chance. Chand Pasha from Latur, who had brought out a booklet showing how Sharad Pawar supported the Sena in local elections in Marathwada, said UP’s voters had showed the BJP that communal issues such as ‘love jihad’ didn’t work. “Everyone in the BJP is now criticising Yogi Adityanath,” pointed out Pasha.Alware said it was clear that there was no political untouchable for Muslims. A three-member committee of Ansari, Ghulam Peshimam and Azimuddin was set up to meet heads of political parties.