Mumbai, Oct 9 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday blamed ally Congress’s defeat in Haryana on “overconfidence”, and said the Congress must decide whether it wants to contest the Maharashtra elections on its own.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also reiterated its demand that the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance that also includes the NCP led by Sharad Pawar should declare its chief ministerial face ahead of the elections.
The comments drew a sharp response from the Congress which said such criticism will not be tolerated.
Exposing the fissures in the MVA even as seat-sharing talks are underway, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the Congress relies on its allies wherever it is weak, but ignores them where it is strong.
“The Congress defeat in Haryana is due to its overconfidence and the arrogance of its local leaders. No one thought the BJP will come to power again and it was made to look like a one-sided contest,” said the editorial in Saamana, the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece.
“One should learn from Congress how to turn victory into defeat,” it said.
Talking to reporters, Raut said “people want a leader” in a state like Maharashtra. “People cannot digest this policy that you first contest polls and declare the CM later,” said the Rajya Sabha member.
Notably, both Congress and NCP (SP) are not keen on declaring the CM face in advance.
“The Congress has to take a stand on whether it wants to fight on its own. Then the other parties will take their decision,” Raut further said.
Wherever Congress is weak, it takes help of regional parties, but in regions where it thinks it is strong, it assigns no importance to its regional allies, Raut claimed.
INDIA allies won in Jammu and Kashmir as National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was the face of the Opposition, he said.
“Had Haryana polls been contested by the INDIA alliance and seats allocated to Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), it would have helped the alliance, but Congress thought the battle would be one-sided and it will win on its own,” Raut added.
He also credited the BJP with deft election management in Haryana which divided the opposition vote.
The editorial in Saamana, meanwhile, noted that the Congress organisation was in disarray in Haryana, unlike that of the BJP.
Recalling the last year’s election results in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the editorial said the BJP was certain not to return to power, but internal disputes of the Congress helped the saffron party.
On the Jammu and Kashmir results, the Saamana editorial said the BJP had claimed to have taken a revolutionary step by abrogating special provisions of Article 370, but it could not put an end to terrorism. The Centre could not give employment to the youth, nor did it succeed in resettling the Kashmiri Pandits back in the Valley, it Sena (UBT) newspaper said.
Reacting to Raut’s remarks, state Congress chief Nana Patole said “accusations against the Congress party will not be tolerated.” “The political situation in Haryana and Maharashtra is different. Congress fights elections with its allies, as was seen in the Lok Sabha elections,” he told reporters even as he said seat-sharing talks of the MVA allies were nearing conclusion. PTI PR NSK KRK
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