Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the Mahayuti alliance is confident of a clean sweep in east Vidarbha region going to polls in the first phase on April 19.
He claimed people will vote for the saffron alliance on account of the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 10 years.
“BJP is seeing a favourable mood in the constituencies in east Vidarbha going to polls in the first phase. In Nagpur, a very strong candidate like Nitin ji (Union Minister Nitin Gadkari) is contesting again,” Mr. Fadnavis told reporters at Nagpur airport when asked if BJP and Congress will be locked in a straight fight.
He said the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP led by Ajit Pawar will do a clean sweep in the first phase.
The BJP has reached out to the last man at the booth level in the last four to five years, Mr. Fadnavis said.
He said a decision on the Lok Sabha seat to be allocated to RSP leader Mahadev Jankar will be announced after holding discussions. “We have decided to give him one seat,” he added.
Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to Lok Sabha, will vote in five phases starting April 19.
Voting will be held for Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya, Chandrapur, and Ramtek (SC) in the first phase. The last date to file nominations in these seats is March 27.
In four out of five seats, the BJP and Congress are locked in a straight fight.
Mr. Gadkari is seeking a third term in Lok Sabha from Nagpur constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters. The Congress has decided to field sitting MLA Vikas Thakre.
A straight fight is also shaping up between Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar of BJP and Pratibha Dhanorkar of Congress in Chandrapur.
In Bhandara-Gondiya, BJP nominee and sitting MP Sunil Mendhe will square off against Congress’ Prashant Padole.
In Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) also, there is a straight fight between BJP MP Ashok Nete and Congress leader Namdeo Kirsan.
The Congress has fielded former Zilla Parishad president Rashmi Barve from the Ramtek (SC) constituency. The seat is likely to be contested by the ruling Shiv Sena.
