MLAs wary of mid-term Assembly polls

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has been threatening to withdraw support from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, but the BJP on Tuesday expressed strong confidence that it will survive. Even MLAs from other political parties have refused possibility of mid-term polls saying that financially it’s not viable for anyone.

Referring to the BJP’S floor test when Sena had not joined the government in 2014, BJP leaders said that ‘arrangements’ could be done to sustain the government.

After Sena president Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks on pulling out from the BJP-led government, there is buzz in the political circles of mid-term polls. NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s too recently tweet on the possibility of mid-term polls. Mr Pawar’s tweet has sparked speculations. However, the BJP has denied any such possibility. “Our government will continue for five years. The chief minister has already cleared it that there is no problem for the government. The people of Maharashtra have thrown out Congress-NCP rule and there is no doubt that the government will complete its full term. We had proved our majority in the beginning when Shiv Sena had not joined the government,” asserted BJP leader and education minister Vinod Tawde.

However, Sena said that mid-term polls are inevitable as the BJP-government cannot function in minority. “Uddhavji has already made his stand clear about the political situation. How long can a minority government sustain?” asked Sena MP Anil Desai.

An MLA from Congress said that the Sena might pull from the government but nobody wants to face the polls early.

“Every MLA wants to complete his/her full term. Also, there are no funds to contest poll in just three years. There is also no guarantee that the BJP MLAs would be re-elected if mid-term polls come,” the Congress MLA said.