For BJP, Maharashtra with its 48 LS seats is crucial as its victory in maximum seats will help party achieve its 300 plus target at the national level.
The ruling BJP in Maharashtra has dropped sufficient hints that it was preparing for simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and state assembly. As a part of its poll strategy, the state BJP is busy appealing people to register in the voters list in all the 48 Lok Sabha and 288 Assembly segments. For BJP, Maharashtra with its 48 LS seats is crucial as its victory in maximum seats will help party achieve its 300 plus target at the national level. Currently, Maharashtra has 8.98 crore voters.
BJP's drive coincides with the ongoing exercise undertaken by the Election Commission of India (EC) for the enrolment of new voters across the country. The EC is expected to release draft mother electoral roll in the first week of September seeking objections and suggestions. The final voters list will be released by January 2019.
The BJP is anxiously waiting for the report by a two-member committee chaired by finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on simultaneous polls in the state. Mungantiwar told DNA that the committee will submit its report by December.
Party spokesman Madhav Bhandari said, "The party has activated 90 per cent booth committees. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha is motivating youths to register in the voters list. Besides, the party workers are focusing on house to house contact. In nutshell, the party is ready to face simultaneous polls."
A senior BJP functionary said that all 123 legislators and 23 MPs along with the party vistarak and local teams are working so that eligible voters can register during the updation of voters list. A senior BJP minister argued that the simultaneous elections will save tax payers money as the government's outgo on LS is alone estimated at Rs 864 crore. Each LS constituency will require about Rs 18 crore to conduct the election. In addition to this, the government can get more time for carrying out development works.
"BJP president Amit Shah had referred to Maharashtra where the Model Code of Conduct was in force in 307 of the 365 days in 2016 due to assembly and LS bypolls and local elections, hampering development works,'' he noted.
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