Ravi Shankar Prasad: Mandate of Maharashtra people has been 'robbed'

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday alleged that mandate of the Maharashtra people had been "robbed", which was an example of opportunism. He exuded confidence that unlike Maharashtra and Haryana, the BJP would not fall short of numbers in Jharkhand and get back to power with an absolute majority. Prasad was addressing media persons after releasing BJP's manifesto for the Jharkhand polls.

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'The matter is over'

"In Maharashtra, the alliance (BJP/Shiv Sena) got the mandate. In a way the mandate was robbed, it is an example of opportunism," Prasad said taking a veiled dig at the saffron party's former NDA ally without naming it. The Union Law & Justice and IT Minister said the BJP got 105 seats in Maharashtra and they (Shiv Sena) won on "our shoulders". Shiv Sena which is all set to form a government in Maharashtra with the NCP and Congress bagged 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly in the western state. "We resigned, and the matter is over," he said without going into details about formation and end of a short-lived Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra. "In Haryana, we are in the government. Dushyant Ji joined hands with us saying he does not believe in Congress policies," 

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Prasad, who is a Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib in the neighbouring state of Bihar, said. Replying to a query on the BJP getting lesser seats in Haryana and Maharashtra and if it would have any impact in Jharkhand, Prasad said "No, it will not happen in Jharkhand. The BJP will win an absolute majority and provide a stable government." Prasad released the BJP manifesto in the presence of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda and party's state unit president Laxman Gilua. Jharkhand is going for elections in five phases between November 30 and December 20. Counting will take place on December 23. 

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