Union minister Ramdas Athawale Friday expressed confidence that the BJP would win at least 260 seats in the Lok Sabha polls and the NDA would form the next government under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
He was addressing a press conference after visiting some drought-hit villages in the district.
"The BJP would win at least 260 Lok Sabha seats. In Maharashtra, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will get 37 to 38 seats as against the 42 in 2014," Athawale said.
He said his party- Republican Party of India (A)- wouldgo with the saffron alliance even in the state assembly election to be held later this year, and demand 18 seats.
When asked about the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), an alliance between Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and Asaduddin Owaisi-led MIM, Athawale said it will not win even a single seat in the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
"On the contrary, the VBA will benefit the BJP," he said.
On Modi's recent remarks against former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Athawale alleged that the latter had indulged in corruption in the Bofors deal.
Speaking on NCP chief Sharad Pawar's concerns over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in polls, the Minister of State for Social Justice said he would support the use of ballot paper system in 2024 election.
Stating that injustice has been done to Vidarbha region, he said major pending irrigation projects should be completed soon.
"Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had suggested river linking project in those days. Had it been carried out, there would not have been water scarcity anywhere in Maharashtra. But the suggestion was ignored by the previous governments," he said.
Athawale also met martyr Agraman Rahate's family in of village Taroda in Arni tehsil. Rahate, a member of the Quick Response Team, was killed in a Maoist attack in Gadchiroli district on May 1.
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