BJP appoints Manoj Kotak as its new Maharashtra president

BJP candidate Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak who had won the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North-East parliamentary seat has been appointed as the party chief of Maharashtra. According to the sources, the decision was taken in the national capital.

In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Manoj Kotak, defeated NCP’s Sanjay Dina Patil by 2.26 lakh votes. Of the 9.08 lakh votes polled in the constituency, Kotak got 5.14 lakh votes (56.61%). NCP’s Patil, who had represented the constituency from 2009-2014, got 2.88 lakh votes (31.7%). In 2014 too, he had got just 2.08 lakh votes.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kirit Somaya of the BJP defeated the 2009 winner Sanjay Dina Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). While the NCP renominated Patil, the BJP fielded Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak after Shiv Sena's objection to Somaya's candidature. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP-Shiv Sena-Swabhiman Paksha combine together won 42 out of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. The Congress bagged only two seats and NCP just four with several senior leaders of both the parties losing their seats.

The BJP on Sunday held its parliamentary party meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuring Indians that his government will be at the forefront of facilitating legislation that manifests the spirit of "sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas".

A day before the first session of the newly-constituted 17th Lok Sabha, a meeting of the NDA was also held here.

"BJP is grateful for people's blessings. We assure our fellow Indians that we will be at the forefront of pro-people governance and facilitating legislation that manifests the spirit of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas'," Modi tweeted after the meeting.

After securing a massive mandate in the general elections, the prime minister had said in a speech, "Our mantra should be 'sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas' (with all, for everybody's development and having everyone's trust)."

After the ruling coalition's meet on Sunday, he said the "NDA family" looks forward to fulfilling the dreams of 130 crore Indians, who have reposed "unparalleled faith" in the alliance.

"We shall fulfil regional aspirations and work untiringly for national progress," Modi said and posted pictures of both the meetings.

Earlier, chairing an all-party meeting on the eve of the first session of the new Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Modi invited heads of all parties to a meeting on June 19 to discuss the "one nation, one election" issue and other important matters.