MVA top brass expects mid-term polls in Maharashtra

BJP leader confident of the current government will successfully complete tenure

Even as the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government won the trust vote, leaders of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi expect mid-term polls coming within six months in Maharashtra. However, the BJP leadership asserted that the government will complete the two-and-a-half-years it has got after the MVA experiment crumbled.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who is the chief architect of MVA, indicated that the state is headed for mid-term polls. "The newly-formed government in Maharashtra may fall in the next six months, hence all should be ready for mid-term polls," Pawar told a meeting of NCP leaders and legislators.

"Pawar saheb said that the government may not be able to survive for more than six months, According to him, many rebel legislators who are supporting Shinde are not happy with the current arrangement. Once the ministerial portfolios are distributed, their unrest will come out, which will ultimately result in the collapse of the government," a NCP leader said.

Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said he agrees with Pawar. "Yes…what Pawar saheb said is correct. I have information that once the government falls in six months, there are plans to hold elections in Maharashtra along with Gujarat," he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Council Pravin Darekar said that the government will complete the time that it has got. “Whatever Pawar saheb says, the opposite of it actually happens, which means this government will complete its term,” he said.

"They (MVA) were not able to fulfil their promises. People are now happy and seeing us as a ray of hope. We will fulfill all the demands of the people and take the state towards development," Darekar said.

However, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray’s son and Worli MLA Aaditya was asked, he said: “As a political party, we are always ready for polls whenever it happens. The Shiv Sena is always ready.” A senior Congress leader said: “The internal contractions among the Shiv Sena faction led by Shinde and Fadnavis-led BJP would emerge soon. They will try to dominate each other. Let’s wait for the portfolio allocation and see what happens.”