MVA set to win over 170 seats, no rift in alliance: Vijay Wadettiwar

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi will win more than 170 seats in the upcoming elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly and take a decision on the chief minister's post together, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said on Tuesday.

In an interview to PTI, Wadettiwar, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, was non-committal on the demand for a chief minister from the state's Vidarbha region.

“Our first and foremost priority is to oust the Mahayuti government. A decision on the chief minister will be taken after the elections in consultation with the alliance partners and the Congress high command,” he said when asked about having a chief minister from Vidarbha.

Besides Wadettiwar, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, state BJP head Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are prominent leaders from the Vidarbha region.

Wadettiwar also claimed the BJP leaders were raising "provocative" slogans such as 'batenge toh katenge' (divided we fall) as the BJP-led ruling coalition was losing ground ahead of the assembly elections.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance of Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP is locked in a fierce contest with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, in the November 20 state assembly polls.

"Hindus are not in danger, it is the BJP that is in danger. This is the reason BJP leaders are raising slogans such as 'batenge toh katenge' and 'ek hai toh safe hai' (we are safe if we are united)," Wadettiwar said.

He claimed the MVA alliance was all set to de-throne the Eknath Shinde-led government.

"The MVA is set to win more than 170 seats. We were ahead in 165 assembly segments in the Lok Sabha elections. We will definitely perform better," Wadettiwar said.

Maharashtra sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha and the opposition INDIA bloc, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), won 31 seats in the parliamentary polls earlier this year, giving a blow to the BJP-led NDA which managed to emerge victorious in 17 seats.

Wadettiwar also dismissed speculation about a rift among the opposition alliance partners and accused the BJP of furthering such narratives to create confusion among voters.

"We are united. There is no rift in the MVA and we are set to win the elections," the Congress leader said, adding the opposition alliance will win 42-45 seats of the 62 in the Vidarbha region.

He also ruled out any change in political equations in Maharashtra after the elections and asserted the MVA will form the next government.

"People are fed up with the current Mahayuti government and are desirous of change," Wadettiwar said, and accused the BJP of spreading canards about disquiet in the opposition alliance.

On the Mahayuti government's Ladki Bahin scheme that provides a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to women in the state, Wadettiwar said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's flagship initiative was rolled out with an eye on the elections.

"We have promised Rs 3,000 as monthly allowance to women in our poll manifesto," the Congress leader said.

He rejected the BJP's claims that Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh were unable to fulfil the election promises to voters.