Union Minister Narayan Rane on Friday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form its government in Maharashtra in March.
Rane's statement came on a day when state BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrakant Patil as well as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and his party colleague Praful Patel were in the national capital, sparking speculation.
Incidentally, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will complete two years on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Rane said, "BJP will form government in Maharashtra in March." When asked to elaborate, he said toppling and forming governments is done in secrecy and it can not be discussed in public, reported news agency PTI.
''State (BJP) president Chandrakant Patil has spoken about this and I hope it comes true,'' Rane said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister and senior NCP leader Jayant Patil has responded sarcastically. He "thanked" Rane for "extending the time till March". "So far, BJP leaders have given five to six different dates. I can understand that it is their responsibility to keep the people hopeful," Patil said. "If they want to save their party, such promises have to be made and such an atmosphere have to be created," he added.
Besides, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government will complete its full term.
"BJP keeps making big predictions and they don't come true....Nobody believes BJP,'' he said.
Sources in the BJP and NCP played down the significance of the visits of their respective leaders to the national capital at the same time.
(With PTI inputs)
