Voters won't repeat 'mistake' of electing Cong in Chandrapur: BJP candidate Mungantiwar

Chandrapur: Maharashtra minister and BJP's Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar has said voters made a "mistake" once of giving a chance to the Congress from the constituency but they would not do it again.

In an interview with PTI, Mungantiwar, the MLA from Chandrapur, said he has carried out 300 development works in the area and asked the Congress to spell out even two such initiatives taken by it in the last five years.

He also ruled out any sympathy votes going in favour of his Congress opponent.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar who was the lone Congress MP elected in Maharashtra from Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat. He died in May last year.

To a query on whether aiming for 400 Lok Sabha seats is realistic for the BJP, Mungantiwar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "divya drishti" and the target will be achieved under his leadership.

Mungantiwar, who is currently Maharashtra's forest and culture, is locked in a direct fight with Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of Balu Dhanorkar, in Chandrapur.

Polling in Chandrapur, located in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, will be held in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19.

Asked if it would be a tough fight as Chandrapur seat was won by the Congress in the last Lok Sabha polls, Mungantiwar said voters made the "mistake" once and gave a chance to the grand old party, but they will not do that again.

Mungantiwar asked the Congress to spell out even two development works initiated by it in Chandrapur in the last five years compared to the works done by him.

"I am not fighting for myself but for the country. As a state minister and Chandrapur MLA, I have done more than 300 development works. I am known as a simple MLA, who listens to the people and works for them. A PhD has been done on me... and I have done several works for the people. The public of Chandrapur will support me," he said.

The BJP leader said his focus will be on irrigation, agriculture, health, education and industries, he said.

Asked if his Congress opponent Pratibha Dhanorkar may get sympathy votes due to the passing away of her husband and sitting Chandrapur MP Balu Dhanorkar, Mungantiwar wondered if there is a time limit for the expiry (date) of sympathy or not.

Sympathy is not the issue in this election. Even her own party leaders don't want her to win, he claimed.

To a query on whether he is happy to go to the central politics after being reluctant earlier, Mungantiwar said he never knew that when he sent doors from Chandrapur during the construction of the new Parliament building, it would be waiting to call him.

Notably, teakwood from Chandrapur was used for the construction of the new Parliament building.

Mungantiwar said he never thought of becoming an MLA or MP, but had thought of about 150 development initiatives (to restore the legacy of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) and 40 of them have been completed.

"But after going to Parliament, I will be able to complete all the 150 works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said.

Asked about pollution in Chandrapur, which has several power plants and industries, being one of the key poll issues, the BJP leader said the Congress did nothing about it and that he would work to resolve it and make efforts for the overall development of the constituency.