Voters won't repeat 'mistake' of electing Cong in Chandrapur: Sudhir Mungantiwar

Maharashtra minister and BJPs Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar has said voters made a mistake once of giving a chance to the Congress from the constituency but they would not do it again reported news agency PTIIn an interview with PTI Mungantiwar the MLA from Chandrapur said he has carried out 300 development works in the area and asked the Congress to spell out even two such initiatives taken by it in the last five yearsHe also ruled out any sympathy votes going in favour of his Congress opponentIn the 2019 Lok Sabha polls Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar who was the lone Congress MP elected in Maharashtra from Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat He died in May last yearTo a query on whether aiming for 400 Lok Sabha seats is realistic for the BJP Mungantiwar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has divya drishti and the target will be achieved under his leadership reported PTIMungantiwar who is currently Maharashtras forest and culture is locked in a direct fight with Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar wife of Balu Dhanorkar in ChandrapurPolling in Chandrapur located in Maharashtras Vidarbha region will be held in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19Asked if it would be a tough fight as Chandrapur seat was won by the Congress in the last Lok Sabha polls Mungantiwar said voters made the mistake once and gave a chance to the grand old party but they will not do that againMungantiwar asked the Congress to spell out even two development works initiated by it in Chandrapur in the last five years compared to the works done by himI am not fighting for myself but for the country As a state minister and Chandrapur MLA I have done more than 300 development works I am known as a simple MLA who listens to the people and works for them A PhD has been done on me and I have done several works for the people The public of Chandrapur will support me he said reported PTIThe BJP leader said his focus will be on irrigation agriculture health education and industries he saidAsked if his Congress opponent Pratibha Dhanorkar may get sympathy votes due to the passing away of her husband and sitting Chandrapur MP Balu Dhanorkar Mungantiwar wondered if there is a time limit for the expiry date of sympathy or not reported PTISympathy is not the issue in this election Even her own party leaders dont want her to win he claimedTo a query on whether he is happy to go to the central politics after being reluctant earlier Mungantiwar said he never knew that when he sent doors from Chandrapur during the construction of the new Parliament building it would be waiting to call him reported PTINotably teakwood from Chandrapur was used for the construction of the new Parliament buildingMungantiwar said he never thought of becoming an MLA or MP but had thought of about 150 development initiatives to restore the legacy of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and 40 of them have been completedBut after going to Parliament I will be able to complete all the 150 works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj he said reported PTIAsked about pollution in Chandrapur which has several power plants and industries being one of the key poll issues the BJP leader said the Congress did nothing about it and that he would work to resolve it and make efforts for the overall development of the constituencyWith inputs from PTI