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Fadnavis backs ‘kutniti’ in ‘dharma yudha’, eyes over 152-seat win in assembly elections
In the recent past, BJP leaders have questioned the induction of “corrupt NCP leaders”, visibly upset with the alliance. To this, the Fadnavis said BJP has “an emotional friendship” with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and “political friendship” with Ajit Pawar-led NCP
Mumbai At the day-long conclave for MLAs, MPs and party workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- Maha Vijay 2024 -- held in Bhiwandi on Thursday, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attempted to clear the confusion prevailing on party leaders’ minds about their future since the Ajit Pawar faction of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Shiv Sena-BJP combine recently. Additionally, to boost their spirits, the DCM said that BJP was set to win over 152 seats in the assembly elections.
While laying down the action plan for party workers within the tri-party rule Fadnavis took a leaf out of mythology to justify BJP’s decision to include the Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP calling it ‘kutniti’ (diplomacy) to win the ‘dharma yudha’ against those who had betrayed the party. He urged party workers to work in unison with an eye on the elections.
In the recent past, BJP leaders have questioned the induction of “corrupt NCP leaders”, visibly upset with the alliance. To this, the Fadnavis said BJP has “an emotional friendship” with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and “political friendship” with Ajit Pawar-led NCP. He added that over the years NCP will also become “an emotional friend”. Fadnavis also announced that the party will induct a woman minister in the cabinet expansion. Currently BJP has no woman minister in the state cabinet.
He reiterated that the Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray had betrayed BJP. “Uddhav Thackeray backstabbed not just me but the BJP in 2019. We will never tolerate betrayal. So, we are on the path of ‘dharma yudha’ and to defeat the betrayers we are following the ‘kutniti’ taught to us by Lord Krishna. This is not ‘adharma’,” said Fadnavis. “In fact, BJP is the most ethical party; although in politics one needs to remain relevant and employ ‘kutniti’ sometimes.”
He indicated that this will lead to BJP’s ‘mahavijay’ eventually, for which it was consuming a few bitter pills now – indicating its secondary position in the state government.
Earlier in the day, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule had expressed confidence on BJP’s over 152-seat win (more than the clear majority of 145) and the Mahayuti’s (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP and RPI) over 220-seat win in the assembly elections. His statement was an indication of the BJP’s determination to get the chief minister’s position. Last year, party workers were upset when despite having 105 seats and the highest number of MLAs in the alliance, the CM’s position was given to Eknath Shinde. Matters came to a boil recently, when DCM Ajit Pawar openly expressed his desire to become the chief minister of state.
Fadnavis reinforced Bawankule’s claim of numbers, adding “we will also work in all 288 assembly constituencies and all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies for ‘Maha Vijay 2024’”.
“We will work for our friends -- Shiv Sena and NCP,” he said. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is taking India to the new high and some countries are conspiring against India”.
Meanwhile, Munde sisters Pankaja and MP Pritam Munde did not attend the party workshop. When Bawankule was asked about their absence, he put it down to “personal work that kept them busy elsewhere”.
Recently, Pankaja Munde had said there were people in the party out to finish her political career and that she was on a two-month sabbatical from politics.
