New Delhi: Maharashtra deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s statement that UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s “Batenge to Katenge” remark won't work in the western state showed confusion within the BJP-led Mahayuti, senior Congress leaders said.
The Congress leaders further said the remarks showed that Ajit Pawar, who became deputy chief minister in 2023 after breaking his uncle Sharad Pawar’s party, was trying to distance himself from the saffron party but the move would not help him now.
“The voters understood their game during the Lok Sabha elections and gave an upper hand to the INDIA bloc over the Mahayuti. They will do the same in the assembly elections. Ajit Pawar ditched his uncle Sharad Pawar for power but probably he has realised the ill effects of being a BJP ally and wants to maintain distance. But the move has come too late and he will have to face the negative impact of siding with the saffron party,” AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra BM Sandeep told ETV Bharat.
The AICC functionary refused to comment if Ajit Pawar was planning to switch sides after the polls saying, “this is an issue on which I would not like to respond.”
Sandeep said the INDIA bloc appeared to be the best alliance when compared with the Mahayuti which had not addressed the problems of the people since coming to power in 2022.
“Not only the ‘batenge to katenge’ remark, the confusion within the Mahayuti is showing all across the state given the number of rebels they are facing besides the factional fights. In contrast, the INDIA bloc joint campaign is going on smoothly and all our top leaders are on the ground. The issues we are raising connect with the voters,” said Sandeep.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat slammed the saffron party over divisive politics.
“The Congress never divides people on the basis of religion. It is the BJP which has been doing this for decades. Everyone gets affected by high prices of essential items,” Thorat told ETV Bharat.
Congress veteran TS Singh Deo one of the AICC observers in Maharashtra questioned union minister Nitin Gadkari’s remarks that leaders showing a copy of Constitution with red cover were urban naxals and that anyone talking of caste would be kicked.
“He is a senior leader. Is solving people’s problems by kicking them a democratic move. Instead, all problems are resolved through discussion. We need a new vision for the nation and caste census is needed for that,” Singh Deo told ETV Bharat.
“We had fought the Lok Sabha battle over the same issues where we flagged the supremacy of the Constitution and the need to save it. The same will be done in the assembly elections. Red colour is found on so many things which are considered to be auspicious also. Why criticize showing a copy of the Constitution with red cover. This should rather be a normal thing in public life. The saffron party seems to be worried over the series of ‘save Constitution’ conclaves being held by our leader Rahul Gandhi including the latest one in Nagpur,” he added.
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