Maha Min accepts Fadnavis' challenge of fresh polls, says 'dissolve Central govt first'

On Monday, Congress leader and Maharashtra Textiles Minister Aslam Shaikh asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was ready to seek a fresh mandate. He was responding to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ dare that BJP could single-handedly defeat Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress if elections were held again. Adding a caveat, Shaikh stated that the state government will go to the polls provided the Central government was dissolved.  

Aslam Shaikh remarked, "MVA government is ready to take the challenge. Let Devendra Fadnavis speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Let the central government get dissolved, let the state government dissolve. Both elections would take place simultaneously. Whatever the results are, people will come to know.” 

Read: Big Twist? 'Ask Fadnavis,' Says NCP On Row Over Land To Sharad Pawar-backed Institute

'If you have guts, come and fight an election today'

Fadnavis addressed the BJP state convention in Navi Mumbai on February 16. Maintaining that his party had no intention of bringing down the MVA government by unethical means, he challenged the Sena-NCP-Congress combine to seek a fresh mandate. Moreover, he stressed that Balasaheb Thackeray would have never forgiven his son Uddhav in his lifetime if he had pitched the idea of getting a Sena CM with the support of Congress and NCP.  

Devendra Fadnavis said, "We don't even dream of pulling your government down. But if you have guts, come and fight an election today. You three fight together and we will see what people want and whom they bring to power. I want to ask Uddhav - Did you promise Balasaheb that you will get a Sena CM by getting along with Cong-NCP? If you would have promised this, he would have never forgiven you." 

Read: Fadnavis Issues Challenge To Aghadi, Says 'won't Back Down Until BJP Forms Government'

The Sena-BJP conflict

The acrimony between the BJP and the Sena dates back to the aftermath of the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Despite getting a comfortable majority, BJP, and Shiv Sena could not form the government as the latter demanded the CM's post on a rotational basis. Subsequently, the Sena formed the government by joining hands with NCP and Congress under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray on November 28, 2019. Thackeray has often justified the decision to seek the support of his arch-rivals by recalling the promise given to his father of making a party member the CM of Maharashtra. 

(With ANI inputs)

Read: Fadnavis Taunts CM Uddhav For Visiting Ayodhya, Reminds Him Of Balasaheb's ‘Hindutva’

Read: Fadnavis Dares Sena-NCP-Cong 'fight Elections Combinedly Today', Denies BJP Breaking MVA