Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Sunday told BJP workers that the party was not bothered about alliance talks with the Shiv Sena and that it was ready to contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra alone.
“Nobody can beat the BJP, which has 11 crore workers … We shall fight and win all seats in Maharashtra,” Mr. Shah is reported to have said at a closed-door, booth-level meeting of party workers in Latur city.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reportedly told the meeting that irrespective of whether an alliance [with the Sena] was ultimately cemented, the BJP would go it alone and win all seats in the State.
“Do not worry about an alliance [with the Sena]… Prepare to root out all Opposition parties one by one by delivering such a victory so as to leave them stunned,” Mr. Shah said.
At the same time, he said that in the event an alliance was forged with a friendly party, the BJP would contest with its ally and win.
“The BJP would put up candidates even in seats contested by friendly parties. So, I urge all party workers to get on the ground and commence preparations in earnest … it is not the job of a party worker to worry about alliances. These matters are the concern of the top brass. Our preparations must be such as to ensure that the party is victorious in at least 40 of the 48 seats,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Mr. Shah, along with Mr. Fadnavis and Maharashtra BJP chief Raosaheb Danve, met more than 5,000 BJP workers from Latur, Osmanabad, Nanded and Hingoli Lok Sabha constituencies.
Sena hits back
The Shiv Sena hit back at Mr. Shah, saying it was not scared of taking on anyone.
“The BJP has exposed its alliance with EVM[s] by boasting of winning 40 seats. Now don't back down. Shiv Sena is always ready to take the fight head on. Let there be fight. This Maharashtra will not rest until pin you down,” said the Sena in a statement.
“Uddhav Thackeray expressed the sentiments of every Hindu [on Ram temple] and the BJP did not like it.
The Latur visit is one of Mr. Shah’s three planned tours in January to take stock of the party’s strength and preparedness at the grassroots level.
He is to visit Nagpur and Sangli later in the month to interact with party leaders and workers in a bid to assess the situation in Vidarbha and western Maharashtra respectively.
