Mumbai: The municipal corporation elections
in Maharashtra on Thursday will be a turning point in state
politics, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said on Wednesday.
"The elections will be a turning point. They will see
communal parties like Shiv Sena losing their relevance," he
told reporters at his official residence `Varsha` here
tonight.
Asked about the response to rallies addressed by the Sena
and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders, Chavan said the
crowds won`t be translated into votes.
To a query on the war of words between Congress minister
Narayan Rane and NCP`s Ajit Pawar, Chavan said the bitterness
expressed by them was a reaction to local incidents and was
not a tectonic shift in relationship between the ruling
alliance partners.
The Chief Minister expressed disappointment over
Samajwadi Party`s role in these polls.
"The role of SP is negative. I suspect there may be
underhand understanding between SP and Shiv Sena," he said.
"The SP is dividing the secular vote. The fight in these
polls will be a UPA versus NDA fight," he added.
Chavan said the one crore cash haul in Amravati was party
fund meant for Congress candidates.
"We need to have a more defined way of how party funds
are collected," he said.
PTI
