34 MLAs fly to Mumbai for key BJP meet

A group of 34 newly elected members of the legislative assembly of Bharatiya Janata Party from Vidarbha on Monday left for Mumbai in a chartered flight to attend a key meeting of the party.

These legislators are from Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia Amravati and Yavatmal districts. The MLAs assembled at the BJP regional office and later flew to the state capital, party sources said. They were accompanied by MLC Anil Sole.

Another batch of BJP MLAs from Akola, Washim and Buldana districts flew to Mumbai from Akola, they said. “All newly elected legislators will meet at the BJP office in Mumbai and celebrate the party’s victory in the just-concluded Maharashtra assembly polls,” Vinod Tawde, leader of opposition in Legislative Council, said in the financial capital.

The meeting has been called to elect BJP’s legislature party leader, who will take over as the chief minister. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was to attend the meeting, has deferred his visit.

BJP has emerged as the single largest party, winning 122 seats in the 288-member assembly. However, it is short of the majority mark, 145, required to form government on its own strength.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which won 41 seats, has offered outside support but BJP is yet to take a call on it.