Mumbai: The NCP launched its Maharashtra assembly election campaign Saturday with leaders targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.
In a direct attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said that Shah is calling the Democratic Front government that is in power in (this) state as corrupt.
“There are a number of cases filed against Amit Shah. You look at his diary… It is filled with the dates when he has to appear for various court hearings…How his party is non-corrupt then,” Pawar countered.
Pawar’s utterances came in response to Shah’s allegations Thursday (Sep 4), accusing the Congress-NCP state government of being “the most corrupt and inefficient” and one that has been “looting” Maharashtra in the past 15 years of its rule here.
Taking a dig at the central government for appointing former Supreme Court chief justice P. Sathasivam as Kerala governor, Pawar said “dignity of positions must be maintained”.
He said it is the CJI who swears-in the president of India, now Sathasivam has taken his appointment order from the president and was sworn-in as a state governor by a high court chief justice.
Referring to several leaders and activists deserting the NCP, Pawar called upon his party workers never to utter their names during the campaign.
“In the Dussehra Rally (the annual feature of Shiv Sena in Mumbai), let us see how they (the leaders who deserted NCP) will look, wearing ‘khakhi shorts’ and wielding sticks,” he said amidst laughter at the packed Y.B. Chavan Auditorium Saturday evening.
Pawar said the “Modi wave” — which helped BJP and allies secure 42 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra — may not work in the assembly elections. “It is not necessary that the outcome of the Lok Sabha election will be repeated in the assembly,” he said.
In his speech laced with sarcasm and lots of witticisms, the NCP chief highlighted the achievements of the state government on various fronts, including women, youth, farmers, agriculture and urged the people to vote them back to power.
“The people of Maharashtra voted BJP-Shiv Sena for five years (1994-1999), and then voted us for 15 years… I am truly thankful to them,” Pawar said in gratitude.
Earlier, senior NCP leader Praful Patel took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s school toilet statements — “In Maharashtra, toilets are provided in 98 percent of all the schools,” he informed.
He accused the BJP government of simply “inaugurating” the development projects which were initiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and claiming credit for the same.
On the issues of corruption raised by the BJP leaders, Patel pointed out that a union minister’s son had faced such allegations, but “Modi just gave him a warning… They should handle their matters before defaming others”.
Addressing the gathering, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar dismissed Shah’s allegations that there are scams worth over Rs.11 lakh-crore in Maharashtra in the past 15 years of the Congress-NCP rule.
“We have presented budgets of approximately Rs.3.75 lakh-crore in the past 15 years — then from where has the scam of Rs.11 lakh-crore come?” he asked, amidst cheers from the listeners.