FORMER CHIEF minister and Congress state president Ashok Chavan said on Monday that the grand alliance of the Opposition in Maharashtra will be finalised within a week. While Maharashtra’s principal Opposition parties — Congress and NCP — have almost finalised a seat-sharing pact for a majority of the Lok Sabha seats in the state, leaders from both parties have been in talks with smaller parties to stitch together a Mahagathbandhan to take on the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena. “Everybody realises there is a need to come together. I am confident that the alliance will be in place within a week,” Chavan said. He also said the Congress and NCP would contest the Assembly polls in the state in an alliance. Chavan, who is spearheading the Congress’ bid to upstage the BJP in the state, was speaking at The Indian Express Idea Exchange on Monday. While stating that there was no doubt in his mind that BJP and Shiv Sena will face the elections as a coalition, Chavan hinted at a possibility of early Assembly polls in the state. “We are getting inputs from officials that they (ruling combine) are preparing for simultaneous polls,” he said, adding the Congress had factored in that possibility and has a strategy in place. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier ruled out state elections being conducted along with the Lok Sabha polls. But Chavan said, “They (BJP) are weighing the option. They aren’t confident of facing the state elections under Devendra Fadnavis. This may make them fall back on the Modi charisma and hold state elections along with the general polls.” While Lok Sabha elections expected to take place in April, the Assembly polls are likely to be held in October. During the interaction, Chavan fired frequent barbs at the BJP governments, both in the Centre and the state. Contending that the ongoing war of words between BJP and Shiv Sena was nothing more than posturing, Chavan said, “They will eventually come together. My assessment is that the Shiv Sena needs the BJP more to remain relevant, than the BJP needing the Shiv Sena. To me, all Uddhav Thackeray is doing is driving a hard bargain.” Chavan also took a dig at the Fadnavis government’s latest overture to the Sena where Rs 100 crore from the state exchequer was announced for the construction of the Bal Thackeray memorial.
