Yogi pits LS battle as ‘Ram-bhakt vs Ram-drohi’

While the NDA fielded Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav in rallies and programmes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), leaders of the INDIA bloc held a press conference at Santacruz, where they lashed out at Modi and the central government

Mumbai: Both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) went all out to woo voters on Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the fifth phase of polling scheduled on Monday. While the NDA fielded Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav in rallies and programmes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), leaders of the INDIA bloc held a press conference at Santacruz, where they lashed out at Modi and the central government.

Mumnbai, India. May 18, 2024: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed a public meeting in Kurla, Mumbai. Yogi Adityanath campaigned in the city for Mahayuti's Mumbai North Central candidate Ujjwal Nikam on Saturday, May 18, 2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Adityanath, who addressed three public meetings on Saturday, pitted the Lok Sabha election as a battle between Ram- and Rashtra-bhakts on one side versus Ram-drohis and Rashtra-drohis on the other side, while Yadav claimed the late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray would be pained at his son joining hands with the Congress, known for its anti-Hindutva stand. Uddhav Thackeray, on the other hand, claimed the BJP would ban the RSS if it returned to power. He also invited Modi for the swearing-in ceremony of the INDIA prime minister after June 4.

Polling in all 10 MMR seats, including six in Mumbai, is scheduled on Monday. All six constituencies in the city are witnessing a straight fight between the ruling and opposition alliances. The two Shiv Senas led by Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde are pitted against each other in Mumbai South (Arvind Sawant Vs Yamini Jadhav), South Central (Rahul Shewale vs Anil Desai) and North West constituencies (Amol Kirtikar vs Ravindra Waikar), while the BJP is facing Congress in Mumbai North (Piyush Goyal vs Bhushan Patil) and North Central (Varsha Gaikwad vs Ujjwal Nikam) constituencies. In Mumbai North East, BJP’s Mihit Kotecha is facing Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Dina Patil.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed rallies in support of the party’s Mumbai South candidate Arvind Sawant and Mumbai South Central candidate Anil Desai in the afternoon before visiting the Mumbadevi temple with his family in the evening.

In South Mumbai, Thackeray said that Sawant was a loyalist while his rival Yamini Jadhav was accused in a corruption case. “Sawant was a central minister in 2019. But when I told him to resign, he did so immediately without bothering for the post,” he said. In Mumbai South Central, he praised Desai, saying he was a person of good character and one must see the videos of his rival Rahul Shewale.

Thackeray accused the BJP Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena of distributing money among voters, saying fake notes were found in some cases. He also pitied the RSS and BJP for having to take help from tainted persons in the election. Referring to BJP president JP Nadda’s interview to a newspaper, wherein he claimed the BJP no longer needed support from the RSS, he said, “The BJP can now ban the RSS.”

Thackeray criticised Modi for holding a roadshow in Ghatkopar days after a hoarding collapse killed 16 persons and said the BJP was insensitive to the deaths. He also slammed the civic body for spending ₹5-10 crore on the roadshow and asked if this was acceptable to the Election Commission.

Yogi Adityanath addressed three public meetings during the day. The first was in Dhule, in support of BJP candidate and former union minister Subhash Bhamare, followed a rally in Palghar in support of BJP candidate Hemant Savara. He addressed another rally in Kurla for BJP’s Mumbai North Central candidate Ujjwal Nikam at 5pm before flying back to Lucknow.

In his speeches, Adityanath pitted the Lok Sabha election as a contest between Ram- and rashtra-bhakts versus Ram- and rashtra-drohis (devotees of Ram and nationalists versus Ram haters and traitors). “A vote for BJP is a vote for Ram- and rashtra-bhakts. It is a vote for national security, development, heritage and viksit (developed) Bharat. It is sad that the Congress and opposition leaders are busy glorifying terrorist Ajmal Kasab and questioning the martyrdom of the then ATS chief Hemant Karkare and others who lost their lives during the 26/11 terror attack. Under Modi, terrorist activities have been curbed and Pakistan is so terrified that it does not dare to attack our borders,” he told the rally at Kurla.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed that Congress was against the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya and they wanted it to be constructed elsewhere. Referring to remarks by a Congress leader regarding introducing inheritance tax, he said that Aurangzeb’s soul had crept into the grand old party. “The Congress wants to bring back the ‘Jiziya’ tax on people, like the one imposed by Aurangzeb during his rule. Congress’ manifesto is like a Muslim league manifesto. It has proposed to do away with reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs and give away the same to Muslims. INDIA alliance has no vision or policies for the development of the country,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav, who addressed a press conference at the party office in Nariman Point, attacked the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray. “The soul of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray will be in great pain looking at his son joining hands with the Congress, known for its anti-Hindutva stand. The party is supporting and hobnobbing with terrorists and their accomplices involved in 1993 Mumbai blasts, which claimed hundreds of lives,” he said.

Yadav also attacked the Congress for saying the BJP would change the Constitution if elected to power again. “Over 100 amendments were introduced in the Constitution when the Cognress was in power. But now, they are crying foul over our alleged attempts to change the Constitution. People will not fall prey to this false narrative,” he said.

The attack on BJP candidate Mihir Kotecha’s office in Mulund by alleged Shiv Sena (UBT) workers was also a major talking point on the last day of campaigning. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that 50 Shiv Sena (UBT) workers were behind the incident and police had arrested three of them. “Mankhurd-based drug mafia Munna Khan and his 15 aides were part of the conspiracy and the police will soon arrest them. Sena (UBT) will have to pay for it,” he said.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who extended unconditional support to the BJP, visited a few party shakhas in Mumbai North East on Saturday, while chief minister Eknath Shinde participated in a couple of road shows for party candidates in Thane and Kalyan.