BJP To Form Government On Its Own In Furture In Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said several leaders will join his party in the time to come, and pitched for ensuring that it forms a government on its own in Maharashtra in the future.

The BJP leader's comments come in the wake of a statement by state NCP chief Jayant Patil that 10 BJP MLAs were in touch to join the Sharad Pawar-led party.

Mr Fadnavis, however, said such claims were being made by parties to ensure unhappy MLAs don't quit the ruling alliance, comprising the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP.

He claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) contesting polls unitedly would shrink the political space for its constituents, which would be to the advantage of the BJP which would get a larger field to occupy.

Mr Fadnavis said the BJP expanded and formed governments in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh after it was "cornered".

"The parties (MVA constituents) have given us the opportunity to grow bigger on our own strength (in Maharashtra). We have to fill the entire political space and create a party that will form a government on its own," Mr Fadnavis added.

All BJP MLAs are "intact", Mr Fadnavis said, and claimed those joining his party were "mature and understand politics" and know Congress leader Rahul Gandhi or the UPA are not the future of the country.

"They have an idea that both the present and future of this country is (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi," the former Maharashtra chief minister asserted.

Mr Fadnavis was speaking at an event here where former Nashik Shiv Sena MLA Balasaheb Sanap joined the BJP.