Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been stepping up its attacks against the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, on Thursday launched 'Mission 2024' to win all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The party under the leadership of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is a close confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has entered into election mode from today onwards with a resolve to win all 48 seats. 'Mission 2024' was formally launched today at the meeting in the presence of BJP national secretary and former Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawde.
Fadnavis at the outset declared that BJP will make all efforts in next 18 months by consolidating its presence and reaching out to the people to win all 48 seats in the next general elections. ‘’We are focusing on the constituencies that we have won in the 2019 election. But we have also selected some of the new constituencies that we want to win. We will fight vigorously in 48 constituencies. I am confident that we will be ready in 48 constituencies and we will try to win,’’ he said.
Fadnavis said the party's strategy for the next 18 months was discussed in the meeting, as well as a committee has been formed to focus on poll strategy for all 48 seats. Former minister Chandrasekhar Bavankule has been given the responsibility of its coordination. Buoyed by the victory of three nominees in the Rajya Sabha election, Fadnavis has already announced that the party’s victory march will continue in the state council poll slated for June 20 and later in the upcoming local and civic body elections.
Fadnavis’ announcement is important as BJP and Shiv Sena, who were allies for over 25 years, parted ways after the state assembly election held in October 2019 as they had contested the poll separately. However, the duo had together fought the Lok Sabha elections held in May 2019 and won 41 of the 48 seats riding the Modi wave. BJP had bagged 23 seats with 27.84% votes, Shiv Sena 18 seats with 23.5% votes, NCP 4 with 15.66% votes, Congress 1 with 16.41% votes and independent 1 with 3.72% votes.
BJP proposes to cash in on the eight-year rule of the Modi government and a slew of development works carried out during that period. In addition, the party is determined to reach out to the voters exposing the internal contradictions of the ruling Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. Besides, BJP proposes to play up Modi government’s development agenda against MVA government’s ‘’misrule.’’
