For Shirole,BJP counts on anti-Kalmadi votes

“I am confident about the Pune seat,” he said when asked specifically about the forthcoming elections.

Tawade further said that in the municipal elections,NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s dream was fulfilled referring to the municipal elections when he had appealed for Puneites to vote for change in guard at the municipal level which saw the defeat of the Congress party. “We will definitely defeat Congress in the Lok Sabha election taking forward his dream,”he said at the press meet.

He however denied any calculations of outward support by the NCP to the BJP and any closed door meetings in this regard. He also cleared the air about any factions in the party,and said that although there was competition for the nominations,the party stands united for the elections. With late Pramod Mahajan’s daughter Poonam Mahajan in the lead for the Pune seat as well as in Mumbai,Tawade denied that uncle and BJP senior leader Gopinath Munde was unhappy with her not bagging any seat.

Even as Congress-NCP alliance have kick started their campaign after the nominations,Tawade said that rallies are being planned in Pune as part of the second phase of election campaign.

He said that BJP senior leaders Lalkrishna Advani,Sushma Swaraj,Narendra Modi,Gopinath Munde,Nitin Gadkari,Hema Malini,Smriti Irani and Navjyotsingh Siddhu will campaign in the state.

Advani is all set to address a rally in Pandharpur on Friday and will also attend a rally at Shivaji Park on Saturday.

He sees BJP bag 30-35 seats in the state of the 48 Lok Sabha constituency seats in the state. With many alliances deserting the Congress Party and even the NCP announcing Sharad Pawar as their prime ministerial candidate as against Congress announcement of Manmohan Singh,this internal tussles will see Congress on a backfoot,he said. He however defended Varun Gandhi and said that there were demands from the state for him to campaign in the state.