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Is Maharashtra heading for mid-term poll?

NCP chief Shard Pawar tweets that his party for mid-term assembly poll, hinting that the NCP is unlikely to support BJP if Shiv Sena pulls out from the state government...

Updated on: Feb 14, 2017, 14:20:05 IST
Hindustan Times | By , Mumbai
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The result for the Mumbai civic body elections could sound the poll bugle for state assembly elections, indicated Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday and asserted that his party was ready for a mid-term poll.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. (HT photo)
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. (HT photo)

“NCP is ready to face mid-term polls in Maharashtra if such a situation emerges after February 23 (the day the results of Mumbai civic polls are announced),” Pawar tweeted on Monday.

His statement is being taken as a hint that the NCP is unlikely to support BJP if Shiv Sena pulls out from the state government.

“There won’t be any loss of Maharashtra if elections are held within two-and-a-half years,” Pawar added further.

His tweet assume significance as the NCP had declared unconditional support to the BJP government immediately after the results were declared for 2014 assembly elections, during which the BJP bagged 122 seats. To remain in power, the BJP needs 145 seats in the 288-member assembly.

In the run up to BMC polls, the ally turned foes, BJP and Sena, are targeting each other with no holds barred. Scaling up the attack, Sena leaders even hinted that the party may quit the state government, sparking in the political circles that Sena may withdraw support to the BJP-led state government after the BMC polls.

Also read: Will NCP support BJP govt in Maharashtra if Shiv Sena quits?

  • Faisal Malik
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Faisal Malik

    Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.Read More