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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Gold, silver soar as US-Iran deal hopes lift bullion demand
New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices rebounded by Rs 2,900 to Rs 1.55 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday, while silver climbed to Rs 2.54 lakh per kilogram as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a pullback in oil rates, boosting demand for precious metals.
According to the All India Sarafa Association, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity jumped by Rs 2,900, or nearly 2 per cent, to Rs 1,55,400 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Tuesday's closing level of Rs 1,52,500 per 10 grams.
Traders attributed the surge in bullion prices to reports that Washington and Tehran are close to finalising a framework agreement to end months of conflict, raising the prospects of smoother flows through the Strait of Hormuz and easing inflation concerns tied to energy markets.
"Gold rallied strongly on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a sharp reversal in key macro drivers that had recently pressured precious metals," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
Silver prices also advanced for the third straight session by rising Rs 3,500, or 1.4 per cent, to Rs 2,54,500 per kg (inclusive of all taxes). The metal had settled at Rs 2,51,000 per kg in the previous session, as per the Association.
"The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough triggered a steep decline in oil prices and the US dollar, easing concerns about inflation while boosting demand for precious metals," Gandhi said.
Globally, spot gold increased by USD 106.15, or 2.33 per cent, to USD 4,663.70 per ounce while silver gained USD 3.40, or 4.68 per cent, to USD 76.24 per ounce.
"Gold witnessed a sharp rally as markets reacted positively to reports that the US and Iran are moving closer to a one-page agreement framework aimed at ending the conflict," Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said.
Despite strong international gains, rupee strength limited the upside in domestic gold prices. The market is now highly focused on final confirmation and execution of the proposed deal, he added.
Any negative surprise or breakdown in negotiations could trigger a sharp sell-off in gold, while a successful agreement and sustained ceasefire could push the bullion prices higher in the near-term, Trivedi said.
