Deputy CM DK Shivakumar confident of Maha Vikas Aghadi victory in Maharashtra elections

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Saturday predicted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra will win more than 165 to 170 seats.

“We are going to win more than 165 to 170 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi will form the government. They (BJP) have confused people that we have not implemented our guarantees, but we assured people, we have held a press conference. Now people know that we have implemented all the guarantees”, he said.

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar also claimed that as per him, the Karnataka’s model of governance, which includes measures to combat inflation, is being followed across the country. “The whole country is following the Karnataka model. I am very happy that at least now they have realised that inflation is affecting the common people of the country”, he claimed.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Maharashtra elections, Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says, “We are going to win more than 165 to 170 seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi will form the government. They (BJP) have confused people that we have not implemented our guarantees,… pic.twitter.com/Et3CxSRCDF

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2024

Shivakumar also spoke on the Waqf land issue and clarified that the Congress government is not taking land from any farmer. He said, “…we have all the records that it started during the BJP’s time. But my Chief Minister and my ministers have already made it clear that land of any farmer will not be taken”.

Shivakumar also lambasted the BJP for creating confusion and allegedly planning to stir ‘communal tensions’. “You are creating confusion in the minds of the public. And you are seeing that there will be a big internal communal clash that you are planning to do. But we have all records that this has started the term of BJP”, he said.

Exuding confidence in winning the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday said that the current government of Mahayuti is a “stolen” one and it is not a publicly elected government. Digvijay emphasized that earlier the people had elected the alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena and the NCP-SCP.

“The government is a stolen one. It is not a publicly elected government. The public elected the alliance government of Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP… They also tried to bring down the Jharkhand government. They sent the sitting CM to jail even when they had no reason to do so. Also, the court questioned why he was arrested… I am sure that in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, our alliance government will be formed”, he said.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi includes NCP(SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) and is looking to de-throne the ruling Mahayuti alliance which includes BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar).

Campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate.

Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, with the vote count happening on November 23. (ANI)