Congress-NCP will improve tally in Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday stated that the incumbent Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance in the state would improve its tally in the Lok Sabha polls, and denied that there was any ‘Modi wave’ in the state.

“I have been touring the entire Vidarbha region, but have not experienced this (Modi wave). I strongly feel that the Congress-NCP alliance is set to improve its tally in the state in the elections to the 16th Lok Sabha,” Chavan said.

Çhavan said the general election was quite crucial as it was a fight between two ideologies. “It will decide the future of the country. The BJP has extensively used the electronic and social media for projecting its ideology and worldview,” he added.

Chavan said the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra was co-ordinating very well and complaints with regard to inaction or discontent among party leaders and rank and file were being immediately sorted out. He attacked the BJP for humiliating its electoral ally, the Shiv Sena while luring the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). “Special treatment is given to the MNS, which had fielded candidates in seats contested by the Shiv Sena in 2009. It is up to the Shiv Sena to decide how much insult it can take from the BJP,” he said.

Chavan said he had sought a detailed report on MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s recent controversial call to Vidarbha’s suffering farmers. “I have asked experts to examine Thackeray's statement from a legal standpoint. Thereafter, necessary action, if any, would be taken.”

Addressing a poll rally in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal, where a large number of farmer suicides had taken place, Raj had appealed to farmers to refrain from committing suicide, but added that, “If at all you want to die, first kill those who have done injustice to you.”