BJP will mobilise anti-Congress votes, says Devendra Fadnavis

NAGPUR: Maharashtra state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis claimed here today that there is an anti-Congress sentiment prevailing in the state, which the BJP would try to mobilise to oust the Congress-NCP government.

"Our top priority is consolidating these votes against the ruling combine. The Congress-led Democratic Front government is visionless and there is a governance deficit and the party will consolidate the saffron alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and RPI (Athwale) to contest the forthcoming elections," Fadanvis told reporters here today.

Answering a question, he dismissed the possibility of Muslim votes drifting away from the BJP after the projection of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and alleged that it was Congress which "terrorises" Muslims using Modi's name for vote bank politics.

Fadanvis said BJP is strengthening 82,000 polling booths and three women, along with three youth activists would be deployed for "booth management".

Similarly there will be a group of 10 BJP workers outside booths to provide support.

A convention of these polling booth managing activists will be organised soon, well before the Lok Sabha elections, he said.

About RPI leader Ramdas Athawale's uneasiness over Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray's commitment to Hindutva, Fadnvis said, Athawale knew this well before joining the alliance and he won't leave.

The BJP would prepare a vision document to go to the people before elections and social media would also for campaign, he claimed.

On Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gopinath Munde's outburst about election expenses to the tune of Rs 8 crore, which is much beyond the prescribed limit, Phadanvis said, "I don't think the Election Commission will initiate any action".