BJP will bring back one-party era with absolute majority: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

The BJP will get absolute majority by winning more than 180 seats in upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and install a first single-party government after a span of 25 years, senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here today. "For the first time after a long spell of 25 years, the state will get a single-party government which will be formed by BJP. The party will win more than 180 seats on its own out of 257 seats it is contesting for the October 15 elections," Rudy told a press conference. Maharashtra Assembly has 288 seats.

BJP, which last week severed ties with its alliance partner of 25-years, Shiv Sena, over disagreement on sharing of seats, is facing elections along with four smaller allies which were part of the erstwhile 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance). BJP has ceded 31 seats for RPI (A), Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and Shiv Sangram Party. Ruling out a split of votes, Rudy said that the BJP would not like to comment on the past developments which led to breaking of its alliance with Sena.

Responding to a query, Rudy, who is BJP's observer for Maharashtra, said, "Earlier there were reports that Shiv Sena's lone minister in the union cabinet Anant Geete will resign, but the Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has now clarified that his party will not pull out of NDA government at Centre." Rudy said that BJP national president Amit Shah will release the election manifesto on October 3, "which includes a vision for developing Maharashtra into a most advanced state with higher industrial growth." However, he evaded a direct reply to a query on whether creation of separate Vidarbha state will be included in the manifesto.

BJP's former partner Sena is a staunch supporter of united Maharashtra and opposed to bifurcation of the state. Rudy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be addressing around 22 to 24 elections meetings across the state between October 4 and 13. "The final details are being worked out when he returns from USA tomorrow," he said.

Besides Modi, chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states like Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh, Raman Singh of Chattisgrah, Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan, and Manohar Parrikar of Goa will also be at the hustings. "A host of Central ministers like Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and others will also address public meetings," Rudy said. The Indian National Congress had been at the helm from 1960-78 after Maharashtra became a separate state in 1960.

Barring a two-year period between 1978-80 when it was ruled by the Progressive Democratic Front government cobbled up by Sharad Pawar, the state was ruled by Congress between 1980-95 before it was dislodged by the Shiv Sena-BJP combine in 1995. The Congress-NCP alliance, dissolved recently, has been ruling the state since last three successive terms beginning 1999. Maharashtra is now under President's Rule after the Democratic Front (DF) government, led by Prithviraj Chavan, became a minority government following the Sharad Pawar-led NCP pulling out of it over sharing of seats in run-up to elections.