Former BJP MP from Nandurbar Heena Gavit on Saturday said the party was preparing to contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections in Maharashtra independently, while leaving the possibility of a post-election alliance open, reported the PTI.
Gavit’s remarks come amid differences between the BJP and its ruling alliance partner, the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, over the recent Maharashtra Legislative Council elections.
BJP planning to go solo in ZP elections
“We are preparing to contest the ZP elections on our own. At the party level, we are currently planning to go solo,” Gavit told reporters on Saturday, according to the PTI.
She said the party would take a final call on an alliance after the election schedule is announced.
“Once the elections are announced, discussions on all these issues will take place. As of now, the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to fight on its own. Further decisions will be taken when the election programme is declared,” she said, the news agency reported.
Differences emerge after Legislative Council polls
The BJP and Shiv Sena have recently witnessed differences over the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance managed to win only two of the five seats that went to polls on October 23. The results were declared on October 28.
The outcome has brought renewed attention to the coordination between the two alliance partners ahead of the upcoming local body elections.
Mahayuti leaders maintain alliance remains intact
Despite the differences, leaders from both the BJP and Shiv Sena have maintained that the Mahayuti alliance remains intact.
They have also indicated that any disagreements between the partners would be resolved through discussions.
Gavit’s statement, however, signals that the BJP is currently preparing for the Zilla Parishad elections independently, with the possibility of an alliance to be considered at a later stage, reported the PTI.
NCP targets Sena MLA for council poll loss in Sambhajinagar
Maharashtra’s ruling coalition constituent NCP on Friday accused Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar of working against its candidate in the just concluded Legislative Council elections to the Aurangabad graduates constituency, leading to his defeat.
Opposition NCP (SP)’s candidate Pratapsinh Patil defeated NCP’s sitting MLC Satish Chavan in the polls held on October 23, whose results were announced this week, according to the PTI.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which also consists of the BJP and the Shiv Sena.
(with PTI inputs)
