The increased strength of the Opposition benches has given it new confidence to fight the anti-people policies of the next government, the NCP said on Friday.
“We are entering the new Assembly with not only increased strength but also renewed resolve to fight the anti-people policies of the government to the end,” said Nationalist Congress Party’s Mumbai unit president and newly-elected MLA Nawab Malik.
Mr. Malik also reiterated that the NCP would sit in Opposition and ruled out the possibility of stitching an alliance with the Shiv Sena to form the next government.
He said the Leader of the Opposition would be elected after Deepavali, and added that the party which has the higher numbers will get the post.
“The people’s mandate is clearly against the government. The voters have also not liked the dirty politics of turncoats. The defeat of Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara Lok Sabha bypoll and Jaydutt Kshirsagar in Beed is evidence of that,” he said.
Claiming the Modi magic was in name, Mr. Malik said, “The BJP leaders talk about Modi magic. He (Modi) addressed a rally in Satara, their candidate did not get elected. In Parli, Modiji and Shahji campaigned. Yet their minister lost the poll...Modi’s magic is on the wane.”
Mr. Malik on Friday also threatened to take legal action against news channels which, he said, aired fake opinion and exit polls. This, he said, was an attempt to influence voters on behalf of the ruling party.
The final tally puts the Congress and NCP tally at 44 and 54 respectively. The wins by pre-poll alliance partners and Independents supported by Congress-NCP takes the Opposition tally to 112.
The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi led by Hitendra Thakur won three seats — Nallasopara, Vasai-Virar and Boisar. The Samajwadi Party won two seats — Shivajinagar-Mankhurd and Bhiwandi East; while the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Krantikari Shetkari Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) got one seat each in Morshi, Nevasa, Kalyan rural, Loha and Dahanu, respectively.
Among the four Independents who, according to the opposition, have extended support to it are Chandrakant Patil (Muktainagar), Ravi Rana (Badnera), Sanjaymama Shinde (Karmala) and Rajendra Yedravkar-Patil (Shirol).
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too on Thursday too had claimed that 15 independents were in contact with him and they would have no problem in forming the government. Interestingly, many of the independents are rebels and Mr. Fadnavis in his election campaign rallies had claimed that he will not seek support of rebels to form the government.
(With PTI inputs)
