Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that decisions regarding alliances with the BJP`s partners for the upcoming civic body elections would be made at the local level, based on grassroots assessments, reported the PTI.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with party leaders in western Maharashtra, CM Fadnavis said, “We assessed the party’s performance in the last civic elections and reviewed our current standing. A similar meeting will soon be held for the Konkan region in Mumbai.”
Regarding pre-poll tie-ups with the Shiv Sena, led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, CM Fadnavis explained that discussions were underway with local units. Final decisions would be made only after receiving their inputs.
“Wherever possible, the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will contest as allies,” he said.
“There might be a few seats where an alliance is not feasible, but we have clearly instructed party members to avoid attacking our allies during the campaign,” Fadnavis said, according to the PTI.
A similar strategy session was recently held in Nashik for north Maharashtra.
On the topic of new entrants into the BJP ahead of local polls, CM Fadnavis said, “If a strong, capable individual wishes to join, we are open to welcoming them. Our existing cadre is quite accommodating, which is why the BJP has grown so significantly. While local leaders sometimes express concern, we do engage with them to resolve such issues,” as per the PTI.
When asked about BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar’s recent harsh criticism of NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, CM Fadnavis said, “We do not support personal attacks. This has been made clear to Padalkar. Minister Chandrakant Patil has also taken steps to discourage personal mud-slinging.”
Addressing concerns about financial aid for rain-affected farmers in the Marathwada region, Fadnavis said that the cash component of the relief package had already reached some beneficiaries.
“We aim to ensure that most farmers receive assistance before Diwali, although some may get it slightly later,” he said.
Speaking on the formation of a new working committee under recently appointed state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, the Chief Minister said, “There are no hurdles in the process. The new team will likely be finalised within the next 8 to 10 days,” the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
