BJP-Shiv Sena will contest 2019 elections together: Fadnavis

On Monday, October 29, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that BJP and Shiv Sena will come together to contest General and Assembly elections in the state as Congress, NCP and other parties have come together, and both BJP and Shiv Sena understand this political fact.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said while interacting with a group of media persons, “I think the political fact in Maharashtra right now is that the Congress, NCP and some other parties have come together. Their coming together has consolidated the vote bank of the opposition”.

He said, “Both the parties would suffer (due to division of votes) in case their candidates are pitted against each other. We understand this political fact, so does the Shiv Sena. Hence, I think both the Shiv Sena and we will come together”.

Staying together a political reality for both BJP and Shiv Sena, says Devendra Fadnavis https://t.co/uDxx6qIHQ4 via @TOIMumbai pic.twitter.com/iGSGqnWWgN

— Times of India (@timesofindia) October 27, 2018

Fadnavis said that both BJP and Shiv Sena are close to each other ideologically and have influence on significant vote bank in the state. He said that most of the party legislators will win in the elections. He also said that his government always takes decisions after discussions and not by vote.

He said, “The government is run by the cabinet which is held peacefully. We discuss issues and take decisions unanimously. There has not been a single decision in the last four years that we took by vote”.

Earlier Maharashtra BJP chief Raosaheb Danve said that BJP will win 200 seats out of 288 Assembly seats in the state, as par party’s internal survey. When Fadnavis was asked a question about Danve’s remarks and seat distribution with Sena, he said that both parties will work together on it.

Fadnavis said, “But we have to work together (with the Shiv Sena). We will decide on the number of seats to be shared (by both the parties) and will contest (elections)”.