To ensure unity, Fadnavis reaches out to Shiv Sena legislators

Mumbai, Feb 26: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to reach out to MLAs and MLCs of the Shiv Sena to ensure the BJP and the Uddhav Thackeray-led party contest upcoming elections in unison.

Fadnavis invited the legislators of the BJP and the Sena over a dinner.

At the occasion, the chief minister expressed hope that the NDA allies would work hard to improve their tally in Lok Sabha elections, a BJP MLA said.

"Fadnavis also admitted that NCP chief Sharad Pawar is more experienced but Sena-BJP can still outsmart him in the poll campaign. He also stressed that the Congress and the NCP are losing this battle even before elections are announced," the MLA said.

Pawar is expected to contest from Madha Lok Sabha constituency.

Recently, BJP chief Amit Shah and Fadnavis had appealed to party workers to ensure that Baramati, the pocket-borough of Pawar, be won in elections.

The CM asked all the elected representatives to attend the ongoing budget session during discussions on supplementary demands and drought. "Almost 99 per cent farmers have received money into their bank accounts," the CM claimed.

"Both the parties should campaign in such a way that they are campaigning for their own party candidate. The BJP-Sena alliance will definitely win the elections again," the MLA quoted the CM as saying.

As per the poll pact, the BJP will contest 25 of total 48 LS seats in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena 23. The ruling allies also announced to share number of assembly seats equally for upcoming elections, after accommodating their allies. Maharashtra has 288 Assembly seats.