E-Paper
Assembly elections: BJP is ready to use ballot paper, says Chandrakant Patil
Party has set a target - 1.5 crore BJP members in Maharashtra before the elections begin
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ready to contest the forthcoming assembly elections with ballot paper or whatever medium that is decided by the election commission, the party’s Maharashtra chief, Chandrakant Patil said.
He was speaking at a press interaction at the Pune Union of Working Journalist (PUWJ) in the city on Friday.
While replying to the opposition parties’ demand that the forthcoming assembly polls in the state be held with ballot papers instead of electric voting machines (EVM), Patil said, “The election commission of India is an individual organisation and it has the right to decide the election process. If the commission feels that the election should be conducted with ballot paper or by calling open vote, BJP is ready to contest election as per their decision.”
Maharashtra’s opposition parties including MNS head Raj Thackeray, Congress state unit president Balasaheb Thorat, NCP leaders Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar come together in Mumbai on Friday and demanded that the forthcoming assembly polls be held with ballot papers instead of EVMs.
He said while the total number voters in the state is around 4 crore, the party has set a target to make 1.5 crore BJP members in the state before the assembly elections. This will help us get the magic numbers.”
Patil also clarified that in any circumstances, BJP will remain in alliance with Shiv Sena.
Ready to become chief minister if party wants: Patil
Chandrakant Patil said, “I always follow party instructions. If the party asks me to contest the assembly election, I am ready to contest election from anywhere. If the party offers me the chief minister’s post, I will willingly accept the offer.”
When asked about Shiv Sena projecting Aditya Thackeray as a chief minister candidate, Patil said that anyone can become chief minister, but the power-sharing formula has been already finalised.”
