Amit Shah
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra will retain power with full majority and a decision on who will be the chief minister will be taken by the alliance partners after the state polls.
Talking to reporters here after unveiling the BJP's manifesto for the November 20 state assembly polls, Shah expressed confidence that the Mahayuti will win the elections.
All the three alliance partners - BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP - have released their manifestos and after the elections, a committee of ministers from the three parties will be formed to prioritise the assurances given, Shah said.
"At present, Eknath Shinde is the chief minister. After the elections, all the three alliance partners will decide on the chief minister," the senior BJP leader said.
He said the Shiv Sena and NCP split because Uddhav Thackeray prioritised his son over Eknath Shinde while Sharad Pawar prioritised his daughter over Ajit Pawar.
"These parties gave priority to their family members and the parties split. They blame the BJP for no reason," he said.
The BJP is against family-based politics, Shah asserted.
He rejected the Congress' accusation of BJP's plan to weaken reservations.
"It is the Modi government which gave reservations to OBCs. In fact, we strengthen the reservations," he said.
Shah also said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's act of flaunting the Constitution has been exposed after it came to light that the book (carried by Gandhi) had blank pages.
"He (Gandhi) has now become the butt of a joke," the BJP leader said.
Shah said the opposition MVA's leadership has been targeting the Mahayuti government's Ladki Bahin scheme for women, but has made a similar assurance with a higher financial assistance.
"This shows their contradictions. Instead of taking a stock of our performance, Rahul Gandhi should check what is happening in the states ruled by his party," he said.
Shah also said that the Congress' caste politics was aimed at dividing the country.
He rejected the MVA allegations about Maharashtra lagging behind in investments.
"During the MVA rule, Maharashtra was at the 4th position (in terms of FDI) while in the last two years, the state has got the highest FDI," Shah said.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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