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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Campaigns heat up in Pune as EC announces schedule
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident about penetrating western Maharashtra with the help of its alliance with the Shiv Sena
The election commission of India announced April 23 as the date for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 in Pune, sending political parties in the city into overdrive in their preparations to flex muscle.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident about penetrating western Maharashtra with the help of its alliance with the Shiv Sena.
Vishwas Pathak, state BJP spokesperson, said, “BJP is a cadre-based party with a very strong organisation base across the state. We always fully prepared. We are confident of achieving better results in the state as compared to previous elections.”
Of the 12 Lok Sabha seats spread over six districts in western Maharashtra, BJP has four seats, Sena, three; NCP, four; and one seat is represented by farmers’ leader Raju Shetti.
Nawab Malik, NCP spokesperson said, “NCP is a strong political party with a traditional voter base and hence, we are always prepared for elections.”
“All the claims by BJP about winning Lok Sabha constituencies in western Maharashtra can never transmute into reality,” Malik said.
Neelam Gorhe, a member of the legislative council (MLC) from Pune and a senior Shiv Sena leader, said, “The pre-poll alliance between BJP and Sena will certainly have a positive impact on the electoral results in western Maharashtra.”
“Also, the number of workers of our party have doubled compared to 2014 ,” Gorhe added.
“BJP must come out of the world they have created for themselves as Congress is prepared to outnumber the ruling party in the upcoming general elections,” said Atul Londhe, Congress spokesperson.
He added, “Our party workers at every booth level are ready to fight the election battle highlighting the tall claims that BJP promised, but could not fulfil in their tenure.”
