Today in Politics: BJP meet in Mumbai, SP MPs land in city for Assembly poll negotiations

The BJP continues its preparation for the coming Assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday chaired a meeting with Maharashtra BJP leaders to take stock of the party’s preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Vaishnaw, Railway Minister, are the in-charge and co-in charge of the party in Maharashtra respectively. Members of the core committee of the state BJP, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, were present at the meeting, party sources said.

Addressing the media after the meeting, senior leader and former union minister Raosaheb Danve said, “It was a review meeting. We have decided to contest the elections with our allies Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Regarding seat-sharing, it will be collectively discussed later with our alliance partners.”

“The party has decided to focus on 97,000 booths to strengthen organisational base and through it proactively take to people the welfare schemes like Ladki Bahin Yojana and electricity waiver to farmers,” Danve added.

The BJP has convened a conclave on July 21 in Pune, which will be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

A core committee member, requesting anonymity, revealed, “Based on the ongoing process, state BJP believes it should contest at least 165 to 170 seats. The party already has 105 sitting MLAs. And in 55 to 65 seats, it narrowly missed victory in the last polls and is stronger compared to allies.”

The two Union ministers will continue their talks on Friday.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP’s seat count in Maharashtra dropped drastically from 23 in 2019 to just nine,