Maharashtra BJP discusses raodmap for Assembly and state council polls

Mumbai: Maharashtra BJP’s core committee held a marathon meeting till Friday midnight to discuss the roadmap for the upcoming Assembly elections and the biennial elections to the state council slated for July 12.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Union minister Raosaheb Danve, former state minister Pankaja Munde, and the party's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

A senior party functionary said that the core group decided to identify the seats that the BJP can claim during the seat-sharing talks with the Shiv Sena and NCP. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 106 seats.

There was unanimity that the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP must collectively contest the Assembly elections scheduled later this year to retain power, especially after the below-par performance of the MahaYuti in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

"BJP is going to prepare a blueprint for the Assembly elections on the basis of which the number of seats, selection of candidates, and the poll campaign strategy will be determined. Another meeting of the core committee will take place soon,’’ said a party functionary.

The core committee also discussed the party’s strategy for the state council elections scheduled for July 12.

In view of its present strength of 103 legislators and 8 MLAs belonging to smaller parties and Independents, the party’s five nominees can be elected with a quota of 23 votes. The committee will shortlist about 10 names which will be forwarded to the party's central leadership.