MUMBAI: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the outcome of the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra indicates that not only people, but even the MLAs of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) were unhappy with the Uddhav Thackeray-led dispensation in the state.
Taking a dig at the three-party coalition comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, he said if it can face a defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections, where the MLAs have to show their ballot papers to the respective party leaders, what would happen in the upcoming Legislative Council polls in the state, where voting happens in a secret ballot system.
The bitter contest for the six seats of the Rajya Sabha that went to the wire saw three candidates of the BJP - Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde and Mahadik - winning.
The Shiv Sena (Sanjay Raut), NCP (Praful Patel) and Congress (Imran Pratapgarhi) came out victorious on one seat each.
The contest was for the sixth seat - between BJP's Mahadik and Sena's Pawar, who lost.
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Fadnavis said, "The MVA government should see the indications from the outcome of the Rajya Sabha elections. Not only people in the state are unhappy, but even the members of the legislative assembly are unhappy with the current dispensation."
The MVA constituents should introspect about their style of functioning, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said.
"The state is also going to face elections for the (10 seats) of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on June 20. In the Rajya Sabha polls, the MLAs had to show their ballot paper to the respective party leaders. The MVA still failed to win its candidate from the fourth seat. Imagine what will happen in the council polls where voting takes place secretly," he said.
There are many issues and problems which people were facing and that need to be addressed on a priority basis.
The MVA government should focus on it, the former chief minister said.