08 October,2021 08:28 PM IST | Nanded | PTI
This picture has been used for representational purpose
BJP leader and former Maharashtra minister Babanrao Lonikar on Friday claimed 12 MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena are in contact with his party and predicted a "change" in the state.
The Shiv Sena, which heads the three-party MVA government in the state, rubbished Lonikar's claim and said the opposition BJP was "daydreaming" of coming to power in the state.
Lonikar was speaking at a rally organised in support of Subhash Sabne, the BJP candidate for the October 30 bypoll from the Deglur assembly seat in Nanded district.
Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve and his party colleague Ashish Shelar were also in Deglur to campaign for Sabne, who recently joined the main opposition party in the state after leaving the Shiv Sena.
ALSO READ
Mumbai: Railway minister to halt demolition of Hanuman Mandir amid political row
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader kidnapped in Nanded, released later; cops begin probe
Construct EVM temple: Sanjay Raut takes dig at Mahayuti
Uddhav Thackeray questions BJP about razing of temple on Dadar station premises
Cabinet expansion on December 15, oath-taking ceremony to take place in Nagpur
Sabne had represented Deglur and Mukhed constituencies in his previous three terms as an MLA.
Lonikar said, 'If a change has to occur in the state of Maharashtra,... in the present government, then voters should make BJP candidate Subhash Sabne victorious.
Magic (change) will take place in the state. Twelve MLAs of the Shiv Sena are in contact with the BJP."
Also read: Maharashtra: Ex-Shiv Sena MLA Subhash Sabne to contest assembly bypoll on BJP ticket
Asked about Lonikar's comments, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said in Mumbai there was no truth in his claim.
"The BJP is daydreaming of coming to power in the state. They are daydreaming even after their tally came down in the just held bypolls to more than 80 Zilla Parishad seats in half-a-dozen districts," she said.
Speaking at the rally, Shelar, a former minister, said, "This by-election is a fight between financial power and public power."
The BJP and the Shiv Sena parted ways in November 2019 over differences on sharing power after the assembly polls.
The Shiv Sena then joined hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
