Be ready to face snap polls in Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar tells NCP

NCP president Sharad Pawar today asked his party workers to be prepared for snap polls in Maharashtra considering the political situation after the recent state Assembly elections

Alibaug (Maharashtra): NCP president Sharad Pawar today asked his party workers to be prepared for snap polls in Maharashtra considering the political situation after the recent state Assembly elections.

"We have to be ready to face snap polls in Maharashtra," he said addressing a two-day party meeting which began today at Alibaug in Maharashtra's Raigad district. "Having a stable government in Maharashtra isn't NCP's responsibility," said Pawar, whose party offered unconditional outside support to BJP the day election results were declared.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar with Praful Patel at the Gateway of India jetty, while on their way for the NCP meeting at Alibaug. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Pawar also alleged that some elements in BJP were behind the rise of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) party which won two seats in the recent state Assembly polls. BJP has 121, Shiv Sena 63, Congress 42 and NCP 41 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.

State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had won a controversial confidence vote last week after NCP declared outside support to his minority government. As the confidence motion was passed by a voice vote, there was an uproar by Sena and Congress, with the two parties petitioning Governor C Vidyasagar Rao to direct the government to seek a fresh vote in which its strength be determined through division of votes.

NCP Legislature Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, too, disapproved of the manner in which the motion was passed by voice vote. Sharad Pawar had earlier said he cannot guarantee the survival of the BJP government for its full five-year term.