Mumbai, June 3 (IANS) The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP will win all 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, the state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan, state NCP president Sunil Tatkare and Shiv Sena former MP Rahul Shewale on Wednesday made this announcement at a joint press conference.

They said that the top leadership of all three alliance partners had unanimously decided to contest the elections as a unified front.

Chavan downplayed the revolt amid the three alliance partners saying that the primary objective of today’s press conference was to officially release the list of official Mahayuti candidates for the Legislative Council elections.

Chavan issued an appeal to rebel candidates who have filed independent nominations, urging them to withdraw their papers by tomorrow’s deadline and assuring them that the party leadership would definitely consider their interests and future roles in due time.

Addressing the timeline of the polls, Tatkare noted that these Legislative Council elections had been delayed for a long period due to the pending local body elections, which meant there was a lack of voters (constituent representatives) from local self-government bodies. Now that those processes are aligned, the elections are finally taking place.

Tatkare also praised the national leadership, stating that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s global influence and strength are rising significantly as the country progresses rapidly toward becoming a developed nation. He emphasised that for this momentum to continue, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) must remain strong at both the national and state levels, which is why top BJP leaders are actively monitoring and guiding these state developments.

The alliance leaders have had detailed discussions regarding instances where independent or rebel candidates have filed nominations against official Mahayuti choices. Clear instructions have been issued by the top leaders of all three parties to resolve these issues.

“In this election, the focus is entirely on casting the first-preference vote. No Opposition group has the necessary numerical strength to even command second-preference votes,” Tatkare said. He added that while the final deadline to withdraw nominations ends on June 4, the process of pulling back extra candidatures has already begun today.

“By 3 PM tomorrow, once the withdrawal window closes, the clear victory of Mahayuti candidates will be evident,” he asserted.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Tatkare remarked that they struggled to find suitable candidates in multiple places, eventually fielding individuals after a desperate search.

However, he welcomed the contest, adding, “We are glad because, ultimately, elections must happen in a democracy. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar gave us this fundamental democratic right. The elections will happen, but under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Mahayuti will achieve an unprecedented victory.”

Reinforcing the alliance’s optimistic outlook, Shewale also re-asserted that Mahayuti candidates would sweep all 17 seats.

–IANS

sj/rad