Maharashtra BJP leaders meet Home Minister Amit Shah

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) state core committee comprising key leaders from Maharashtra, including chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state chief Raosaheb Danve, met the party’s central leadership in New Delhi on Sunday and expressed confidence that the party will emerge as the single largest party in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The core committee held two meetings on Sunday, one among state leaders and another with the BJP’s central leadership, including party president Amit Shah.

During the meetings the core committee discussed preparations for the Assembly elections and the changes that need to be made in the organisation, including the appointment of a new state chief, as Danve has been inducted in the Union cabinet.

Speaking after the meeting with Shah, CM Fadnavis said, “We have been directed by our national president to ensure the victory of the candidates of all alliance partners. We are confident of a stupendous victory in the Assembly elections similar to that of the Lok Sabha polls.”

Other central leaders who attended the meeting included national general secretaries Ram Lal and Saroj Pandey. Besides Fadnavis and Danve, ministers and core committee members Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde and Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar were present for the meetings.

According to BJP leaders, the state leaders told the central leadership that the Assembly elections will be fought in alliance with the Shiv Sena, but the BJP will emerge the single largest party and install its chief minister. The leaders told the central leadership that they have set a target of winning more than 220 seats in alliance with the Sena to get a second term in the state.

After the first meeting among the state leaders, Fadnavis said, “We are now in election mode. We are all set to face it with the road map ready. We will follow the schedule prepared by our central leadership for the elections.”

Fadnavis said he was hopeful that the expansion of the state cabinet will be done before the monsoon session begins on June 17. Though questions are being raised by the BJP’s central leadership over the need of the expansion with just three months of the government’s term remaining, the state leadership is keen on it. The state leadership wants to fulfil promises made to some leaders who joined BJP during the Lok Sabha polls, according to sources.

One of the ministers said the party leadership has directed state leaders to reach out to voters through booth level preparations. “The party chief directed us to make sure that the party organisation is strong at taluka and booth level. The decision about seat sharing with the Sena and other allies will be done at the state level and hence it was not discussed in the meeting,” he said.

First Published:
Jun 10, 2019 00:54 IST

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