NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar expressed confidence that the MVA alliance will win 225 of the 288 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Pawar’s statements come after 28 members from Pune district, including the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit’s city president and two former corporators, quit the Ajit Pawar faction after its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections to join the NCP(SP).
Responding to questions on seat-sharing discussions within the MVA, Pawar said, “Everyone requests more seats. But the important thing is to win the seats that you contest on. The NCP(SP) contested 10 seats, but won 8 out of those 10 seats, we had the highest strike rate.”
Pawar added, however, he did not believe in such rankings and the MVA was coming together, and all three partners would go to the public together for the upcoming elections.
“Those who worked for the NCP (SP) candidates in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections are ours. Their well-being is our responsibility,” he said at the residence of Shirur MP Amol Kolhe in Pune on Saturday.
Notably, Atul Benke, the MLA from Junnar, who is currently part of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction, was also present at the meeting with Kolhe.
Benke is the latest in a series of senior leaders from the Ajit Pawar faction, the most recent being Chhagan Bhujbal, who met Pawar last week at his residence in Mumbai. It must be noted that Amol Kolhe got a good lead from Benke’s Junnar constituency against Shivaji Rao Adhalrao Patil, the Lok Sabha candidate from the Ajit Pawar faction.
Earlier, speaking at a rally in Ahmednagar Pawar told people to be ready for state polls, which are likely to be held in October, and added that voters did a “good job” in the Lok Sabha elections.
Pawar said, “I am proud of you (voters) that you gave us 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. After 70 days, state elections will take place. If you remain together, the reins of the state will come into your hands.” Pawar said people’s only demand was a strong government that will protect the interest of farmers, youth and women.