Mumbai

As the Maharashtra assembly election draws nearer, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Sunday that 'Viksit Maharashtra' is needed to achieve 'Viksit Bharat', adding that the state is always ahead in contributing to the national development.

Jaishankar, while speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, said, "In the third term of Modi government, we are working so fast, our aim is 'Viksit Bharat' for which we also need 'Viksit Maharashtra'....Maharashtra has always been the leading state in contributing to the national development."

"We want the double-engine government to be successful in Maharashtra as it was in many other places," he added.

He further noted that India is the leader in fighting terrorism.

"Mumbai is a symbol of counter-terrorism for India and the world. When we were members of the UNSC, we were presidents of the counter-terrorism committee. We held the security council meeting for the first time in the hotel where a terrorist attack took place, in Mumbai. When the world sees - who is standing firm in front of this challenge of terrorism, people say--India. Today, we are leaders in fighting terrorism... We should not have a repeat of what happened in Mumbai. We are very clear; we also need to expose terrorism," Jaishankar said in Mumbai.

He further said that the Modi government is managing border security counter-terrorism, and instability in India's neighbourhood well.

"Be it border security, counter-terrorism, or instability in our neighbourhood--we are managing it well. There is tension in the regions of the world. PM Modi in his third term - took initiative in regard to the Russia-Ukraine war, he went to Russia, he met President Putin as well during his BRICS summit visit," he added.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set for November 20, with vote counting for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44.

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In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.