Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister (DCM) Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday made it clear that he would contest the Assembly election from Nagpur. Mr. Fadnavis’s declaration came amid reports that he would be asked to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai. The senior BJP leader also said that he will be celebrating the next Deepawali at Sagar Bungalow, which is the official residence of the DCM.
Mr. Fadnavis refuted the speculation that he might be asked to contest the Lok Sabha election next year. “So far I have not been told (to contest the Lok Sabha election)... I will be contesting the Assembly election from Nagpur,” he said.
The speculation is rife that the BJP high command is planning to field their heavyweight leaders including Mr. Fadnavis, Vinod Tawde and Ashish Shelar in he Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Fadnavis currently represents the Nagpur South-West assembly seat. When asked about his future in the next ten years, he said that he will remain with the BJP and do whatever tasks would be assigned to him.
The senior BJP leader, who has been campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, said that the people have made up their minds to extend their support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “People want to give a third term to Narendra Modi. They will elect the Modi government with a bumper majority,” he said.
Referring to the current state of affairs in Maharashtra’s politics, Mr. Fadnavis admitted that there is bitterness among the state political rivals. “There are only four to five individuals who have created bitterness in politics. If they stop it, there will be no bitterness in Maharashtra’s politics,” the BJP leader said without naming anyone in particular.
