Nashik, Feb 11: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shares power with the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, on Saturday announced the ‘Mahavijay 2024’ resolve aimed at winning at least 200 seats in the next Assembly polls and maximum Lok Sabha seats from the state.
In his address, state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule explained the outline of the ‘Mahavijay 2024′.
On the concluding day of the two-day meet, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Eknath Shinde-BJP government is legitimate and it will not only complete its tenure but will also win one-and-half times more seats and come to power again (in 2024 polls).
“We will win 200 seats,” he said.
Fadnavis’ remarks are viewed as a swipe at the Uddhav Thacekray-led Shiv Sena faction which has been predicting the collapse of the state government which came to power in June 2022 after Shinde pulled down the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Without naming Shiv Sena (UBT), he said the incumbent state government is not of “gaddars” (traitors) but of “khuddars” (self-respecting) people.
Fadnavis said he was confident the Supreme Court will rule in “our” favour, a reference to the disqualification plea filed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction against 16 MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led group.
“What we have done was legal, as per the Constitutional norms and the law was properly studied, and therefore, the result will be in our favour. People have started saying the Election Commission verdict will be in their favour.
“If the Election Commission or the Supreme Court gives a verdict in their favour it will be right, but if it is against them it will be unconstitutional! Opponents are raising the question mark on supreme institutions of the country,” he said.
Fadnavis said the incumbent government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is a legitimate government.
“This government will not only complete its tenure but it will also win one-and-half times more seats and come to power again in the state. This ‘Mahavijay’ mission of the party should not stop till the 2024 elections,” he added.
Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut have been saying the state government will not last long.
In the 2019 state Assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP’s then ally Shiv Sena (undivided) had won 56 seats, but the saffron allies fell out over the post of the chief minister.
He refuted the criticism that the government was illegal and that many members (of Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) will be disqualified (by the apex court).
“This message is being spread so that the remaining 10-15 MLAs (in the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena camp) don’t defect. Whatever we have done is as per the rules and adhering to the Constitution,” Fadnavis said. (PTI)
