Maharashtra leaders' fate to be decided today

Mumbai: Maharashtra voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of 3,559 candidates who are contesting for 288 seats in the state Assembly.

The number of eligible voters is 7.58 crore and how they vote will decide the political future of leaders like Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray.

Pawar, while speaking to the media on Monday, seemed upbeat about a comeback in the state along with the Congress. He is banking on some help from the MNS which according to him will split the votes of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.

"Congress-NCP is on one side while BJP-Shiv Sena is on the other. MNS will eat into votebank of any of these parties. Prima facie it looks like MNS will eat into Sena-BJP votes," said Pawar.

"I can see Bal Thackeray's charisma in Raj Thackeray. So those who were loyal to Balasaheb, will now side with Raj. Twenty years ago Sena was only present in Thane and Mumbai. But now the Shiv Sena is a party spread across Maharashtra. MNS only has a small presence in the state," he added.

But Uddhav Thackeray hoped that the Congress-NCP alliance would bite the dust during the Assembly elections.

Speaking to IBN network he brushed aside the MNS factor, accusing his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray of helping the Congress-NCP combine.

"When onion prices rose, the price rise uprooted four governments. This time too the people are agitated over rising prices. I have been in touch with the people for last five years. With due respect to opinion polls, Sena-BJP will get majority," claimed Uddhav.

If you have seen my campaigns, I have not mentioned MNS. I am bothered about people's issues, like farmer suicides. People have understood that voting for MNS is voting for Congress," he said.

Raj Thackeray though continued to push his Marathi Manoos agenda. Raj also tried to reach out to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"What I am saying is reaching the people. These are basic issues of Maharashtra. Pride is important and people understand that. Outsiders are straining our resources, like electricity. In Mumbai, unauthorised slums get power 24 hours a day. But in rural Maharashtra there are power cuts. Is this just?" he asked

Many people came here because Maharashtra was developed. But Maharashtra didn't develop after these people came here. I have great respect for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But if he does not understand my role, he is bound to speak like this. What's the difference between people here and the Prime Minister? Even people in Punjab are rising up against outsiders," claimed Raj.

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