MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who claim to have ensured votes valuing around 35,000 from Maharashtra for its presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, was trying to increase the share and has entrusted a senior minister with the responsibility.
The value of a vote of an MLA in Maharashtra is 175. That makes the total value of votes in the 288-member State Assembly – 50,400.
Out of the 288 members, the BJP has 122 MLAs of its own, which sums up to a value of 21,350. However, according a senior BJP leader, 138 MLAs were with the BJP. That makes the value of votes on BJP’s side to be 24,150.
If Shiv Sena’s votes of 63 MLAs are added to this, the total value of BJP’s share in the state assembly would be 35,175.
On the other hand, the value of Congress and the NCP's votes in the state assembly, adds up to 14,700. With the MLAs of CPI and PWP, it stood at 15,000.
However, the BJP was eyeing a major chunk of these votes to cross over to Kovind’s side. “Out of the 288 MLAs we are sure that Kovind will get support from 206 MLAs. But, we are trying for more,” a senior BJP minister said.
Another senior minister claimed that was entrusted with carrying out negotiations with the opposition MLAs to ensure that they vote for Kovind, who is scheduled to visit Maharashtra on July 15.
Since Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that there would be a political earthquake in Maharashtra in the month of July, the BJP was not just trying to win over the opposition MLAs but was also trying to reaffirm the support of Shiv Sena MLA and MPs, a party insider told the New Indian Express.