BJP will use Amit Shah's expertise in Maharashtra polls: Fadnavis

Mumbai: BJP will use the expertise of party president Amit Shah in replicating the success his "formula" got in Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, in ensuing Maharashtra Assembly polls, state unit president Devendra Fadnavis said today.

State unit president Devendra Fadnavis

"However, it won't be the 'UP formula' but a distinct 'Maharashtra formula' and we have begun work on the same," Fadnavis said. Asked if he feared that the accusations against Shah would backfire, Fadnavis said, "the accusations against him are political. During UPA government tenure, CBI said it has no evidence against Shah."

"Our rivals are now afraid when they learnt that Shah will be coming here. They are apprehensive about their fate, knowing his organisational management capabilities," Fadnavis said in a TV interview.

To Sena leaders' claim that their party president Uddhav Thackeray will be the chief ministerial nominee after the polls, Fadnavis said, "Uddhavji has said the decision on the issue would be taken in a meeting of Mahayuti." Asked if the old seat sharing formula would remain this time also, Fadnavis said, "the decision on this matter will also be taken in a meeting of Mahayuti leaders. No single party is going to decide that."

To a query, Fadnavis said he was "neither declared nor undeclared candidate of BJP for the chief ministerial post." "In the past, we have never announced the CM post nominee before elections," he said. The BJP leader said it will be "challenging" for the party to face Assembly polls in absence of Gopinath Munde, who passed away in a road accident in Delhi this June.