CM Shinde needs to make 'sacrifices' like we did: BJP leader Bawankule on seat-sharing
Mumbai, Oct 16: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should be willing to make "sacrifices", in terms of seat-sharing for the assembly polls, like the BJP has done to keep the alliance intact.
The comments come a day after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for polls to 288 seats in the state assembly.
Voting is scheduled on November 20 and the counting will take place on November 23.
"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde must remain open-minded and be willing to make sacrifices. We, too, have made sacrifices to uphold the alliance. It is evident that the BJP aims to contest the seats we previously held," Bawankule told ABP Majha news channel in Nagpur.
As the dominant party in the alliance, it is only natural for the BJP to seek more seats, he said.
Asked if Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly stated that the BJP "sacrificed" the CM's post while forging an alliance with Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Bawankule said, "I do not know what Union minister Amit Shah said to Shinde. It is true that the chief minister holds the highest position and represents the government."
"But, the common party workers feel that we (BJP) have the maximum MLAs, even if chief minister's post is with Eknath Shinde, posts in corporations and ministerial posts should be with BJP," he told reporters.
Bawankule said they have urged Shinde that as the larger party, BJP should have a bigger share for contesting seats. It is impossible to measure who made greater "sacrifices", the BJP leader said.
"As the chief minister, he could have expected more seats to contest in the assembly polls. However, it is not feasible to enter the elections with tension within the alliance. Our stance is that we should be able to contest the seats we have previously won," Bawankule said.
There is no point in demanding more seats to contest for the sake of numbers, he said.
Asked about the agenda of BJP leaders' meeting in New Delhi scheduled on Wednesday, Bawankule said, "We will discuss the candidates and the seats we want to contest. There are some seats that we lost by a thin margin in the 2019 assembly elections."
"We will be holding discussions on the sitting seats (which BJP won) and the ones which we fought well last time," the BJP state chief said.
There will not be any discussion on the seats won by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-headed NCP in today's meeting, he said.
The BJP has conducted a detailed survey for Maharashtra and based on it, the discussion will take place in Delhi, he added.
On the possibility of swapping some seats with the alliance partners, Bawankule said, "We may consider swapping a few seats with Shiv Sena. Additionally, there are strong candidates from both BJP and NCP, as the NCP contested against us in the 2019 assembly polls. We need more time to take a final decision in this matter."
Bawankule, who is a member of the state legislative council, also said he would not seek a ticket from the party.
"I won the Kamthi assembly seat in 2014 but the party asked me not to contest the 2019 polls. I have been working as the BJP state president since some time. The party will take a final decision on whether I should contest the election or not. The BJP will win the Kamthi seat irrespective of the candidate," he said.
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BS Yediyurappa appeals to MLA Yatnal's group to work unitedly to strengthen party
Bengaluru, Nov 26: With a group of Karnataka BJP leaders led by Bijapur MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal holding a parallel agitation over the waqf issue, veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday accused them of doing it because of their "self-conceit", and appealed them to work unitedly to strengthen the party.
The former Karnataka chief minister also said that everyone should take the responsibility for the party's defeat in the Assembly bypolls for three segments, even as the BJP's performance is being seen as a "setback" for his son and state president B Y Vijayendra.
"State president B Y Vijayendra has appealed to Basangouda Patil Yatnal and others to stop protesting separately, and work with us unitedly. Despite this, because of their self-conceit, they are doing such things. It is not right on their part," Yediyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I appeal to them at least now to come forward and cooperate to strengthen the party together."
When told that they are not willing to work unitedly with the state's current leadership of the party and whether he will bring it to the notice of the high command, Yediyurappa said, "We will do our duty. The rest is left to them and central leadership...high command knows everything. Let's see what they will do."
Yatnal-led group include BJP MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, B P Harish, and former lawmakers Aravind Limbavali, Kumar Bangarappa and G M Siddeshwara and others.
The leaders, who had stayed away from the protest recently held by the party on the Waqf issue, on Monday held a parallel agitation over the issue in Bidar. Today, they are in Kalaburagi district.
Yatnal and Jarkiholi have been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress, and trying to keep the party in his clutches along with his father Yediyurappa.
Noting that the party had faced a setback in the bypolls for Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna, Yediyurappa said, "We accept that. What shortcomings were being discussed in the party. It should be ensured that such things don't repeat."
To a question whether the bypoll loss is being seen as a setback to his son Vijayendra, he said, "It is not a question of Vijayendra or Yediyurappa. The loss in all the three seats is a setback for us (party). Everyone should take the responsibility and see to it that such things don't repeat."
