Ab ki baar, 225 paar! Sharad Pawar sounds poll bugle, says MVA can win over 225 Maharashtra assembly seats

With Maharashtra assembly elections likely to be held in just three months from now, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on Thursday sounded a poll bugle and said that MVA could win over 225 seats.

The election for the 288-seat Maharashtra assembly is likely to be held in the month of October.

Stating that Maharashtra is in the hands of the wrong people, Sharad Pawar said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises of Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) could win 225 seats.

Pawar made the remarks while the former MLA Sudhakarrao Bhalerao of Udgir and many colleagues joined the party in presence of him, NCP leaders Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil at Yashwantrao Centre in Mumbai.

Bhalerao, a former MLA, who won from Udgir in Latur in 2009 and 2014, submitted his resignation to the BJP and then joined the NCP (SP).

"When the assembly election of Maharashtra takes place in October, of the 288 seats, I see that we can win over 225 seats. There is an expectation that the regime will be changed, and for that we all should make efforts," said Pawar.

Pawar further stated that five years ago, only six MPs from opposition parties from Maharashtra were elected to Lok Sabha. However, this time, even people felt that the situation should change, and of the 48, the opposition MPs emerged winners in 31 seats. Of the 10 seats we contested, we won eight seats," added Pawar.

Pawar also told the NCP(SP) leaders and workers to resolve with collective strength to make Maharashtra the most powerful state in the country.

Meanwhile, both Maha Vikas Aghadi and Mahayuti comprising of BJP, NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) have said that they will contest the upcoming assembly polls in alliance.

According to reports, the state BJP-unit has told the Central leadership that, being the largest party in the state, they should contest 180 seats. The Ajit Pawar and Shinde camp leaders have also expressed that they should get 80 to 100 seats.

Last month, Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam urged Eknath Shinde to ask Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to give them 100 seats (for assembly) and they will ensure that 90 are elected. He also said that BJP (state-unit) stakes claim on seats as soon as they talks about the candidate and it has to stop.

Meanwhile, last week, Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that they (Mahayuti alliance partners) will have to walk together as the Opposition is ready to make compromises among themselves, and added that the alliance remains intact only when you compromise.

Both Mahayuti and MVA leaders are likely to meet after the legislative council polls to discuss the assembly seat sharing formula.