After Rajasthan, Maharashtra Coalition Won't Last Long: Union Minister

The Congress has already lost power in Madhya Pradesh and is about to be unseated in Rajasthan, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said on Tuesday and claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, too, will not last long.

Mr Athawale, a BJP ally who heads the RPI (A), said Congress rebel leader Sachin Pilot, who has been removed as Rajasthan deputy chief minister, should stand firmly behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said the Congress will lose power in the desert state if Mr Pilot and MLAs supporting him join hands with the BJP.

The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment also predicted collapse of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.

The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh collapsed in March this year after 22 party MLAs resigned and later joined the BJP, which is now the ruling the central state.

The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan is currently faced with rough weather after Mr Pilot rebelled.

Mr Pilot, removed as the deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress president earlier in the day, has claimed the support of 30 MLAs and maintained that the Gehlot government has been reduced to a "minority".

In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came together to form the MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray in November last year.

In a video message, Mr Athawale said Mr Pilot was allegedly not being respected by the Congress and chief minister Mr Gehlot.

A BJP government will come to power automatically in Rajasthan if Sachin Pilot and the 30 MLAs supporting him come with the BJP. "Hence, I welcome Pilots decision," Mr Athawale said.

"The Congress has already lost power in Madhya Pradesh, it is about to lose power in Rajasthan and after that the Maharashtra government too will not last long. We are expecting that honourable Uddhav Thackerays government will collapse soon. Lets see what happens," the Rajya Sabha MP added.