Congress hopes for victory in Maha polls

On the last day of campaigning for the October 21 Maharashtra assembly polls, the opposition Congress on Saturday expressed hope of voters dislodging the BJP government from power.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Sachin Sawant equated chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' tenure since 2014 with "dictatorship".

"The CM's slogan that he will return to power is giving people jitters. The political heritage of the state has been insulted in the last five years. People feel scared since the day the chief minister recited a poem on the last day of the assembly session that he would return to power," he told a press conference.

Sawant said he was expecting a "miracle" by people who will give a mandate against the ruling government on October 21, day of voting.

On the occasion, a Marathi rap song "Pada re" asking people to vote against Congress turncoats was launched.

A helpline number was also launched where voters can raise complaints, if any, related to EVMs and against any bid to lure them for voting a particular candidate.

The main contest to win the 288-member Assembly lies between the BJP-led grand alliance comprising the Sena and smaller parties, and the Congress-NCP combine.

Counting of votes will be taken up on October 24.