Fadnavis: We're down, but not out, BJP will win Maharashtra assembly polls

Fadnavis said that though ‘they are down, they are not out; and the party will bounce back in Maharashtra in the ensuing Assembly polls

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday took a dig at the Shiv Sena-led by Uddhav Thackeray and the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He mentioned that the opposition won more seats in the city by relying on a specific community (Muslims).

Kiran Shelar has announced BJP's candidate for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections to be held on June 26. Devendra Fadnavis, Ashish Shelar and other leaders gathered at Rangsharada for the Vijay Sankalp Mela on Thursday. (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)

However, he expressed confidence that the ruling alliance would win the upcoming Assembly, Council, and Corporation elections. Fadnavis said that though ‘they are down, they are not out; and the party will bounce back in Maharashtra in the ensuing Assembly polls.

The senior BJP leader held a rally of party workers in Bandra on Thursday for the campaign of their candidate Kiran Shelar from the Graduate constituency in Mumbai going to polls on June 26.

Fadnavis said that though his party and the ruling alliance failed in countering the fake narrative of the opposition, they polled 2 lakh more votes than the opposition in Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai.

Fadnavis said that Thackeray compromised on the Hindutva agenda to win Muslim votes and had stopped beginning his address in rallies with words ‘my Hindu brothers and sisters’’ and honouring the late Bal Thackeray as ‘Hinduhriday Samrat’. “He (Thackeray) deviated from the Hindutva in the last four months of the Lok Sabha polls. It helped them win four of six seats (add- in the city), but the vote share of the Mahayuti has not been reduced. We have won 2 lakh more votes than the opposition in Mumbai. The Marathi manoos and north Indians have completely rejected them. The lead of just 6,000 votes in Worli where they have three legislators is a testimony of how Marathi voters have shifted from them. I am confident we will not only increase our seats in Assembly and Council but even install our Mayor in Mumbai civic body,” Fadnavis said. .