'2019 LS, Assembly poll results will be startling'

Mumbai: The results of the 2019 general and state assembly elections would be "startling", Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said.

He was speaking during a debate organised by a news channel here.

Raut said, "The situation prevalent in 2014 is no longer there in Maharashtra or in the rest of the country. I admit that many people, who cannot win village polls, got elected as MPs and MLAs. However the situation has changed.

The results of the 2019 Lok Sabha and state assembly polls will be startling."

Raut said that the party was in an alliance with the BJP as part of a commitment to the people but would fight future polls alone in order to expand the party's base. He reiterated that it was the BJP that broke the 25 year old alliance between the two parties. Other participants were state Congress chief Ashok Chavan, NCP MLA JItendra Avhad and BJP spokesperson Shaina NC.

Chavan said that the Congress and the NCP were in talks for an alliance and a decision on it would be taken by the high command.

He added that due to ideological differences with the Sena, there was no scope for a tie-up. The NCP's Avhad, responding to a query on a possibly alliance with the Congress, said that the latter was like an "elder brother".

Avhad added that political arrogance was growing. "The way BJP leaders are claiming that people no longer like the Congress culture is a clear sign of arrogance. People are wise and they can easily send a ruling party into the opposition," he said.

Both Chavan and Avhad tried to corner the BJP and the Sena over job creation. "Earlier, people were lured with 'Make in Maharashtra', which did not work out. Now, you have 'Magnetic Maharashtra' where MoUs worth several crore was signed but nobody knows whether the money will come in," Chavan said.

The BJP's Shaina NC said, "Jobs are being created at an individual level with many entrepreneurs using technology.

They work from home and are not seen as formal employement, something the Congress and NCP want to see."

She added that the party had won several polls in the past few years and that was a message that people were supportive of its development plank.