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BJP gradually finishing off regional allies, says Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of gradually finishing off regional allies citing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s example and linking it to BJP president JP Nadda’s remarks
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of gradually finishing off regional allies citing Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s example and linking it to BJP president JP Nadda’s remarks.
Pawar, while speaking to reporters in Baramati said the BJP was planning how to weaken regional allies. “In Bihar, CM NitishKumar became cautious well in advance and took the decision to snap ties with the BJP, he said.
Nitish Kumar had on Tuesday pulled the plug on his party JD(U)’s alliance with the BJP and resigned, and followed it up by staking claim to form a new government in Bihar with support of the opposition Grand Alliance.
“Till recently Akali Dal was with them (BJP). Its leader Prakash Singh Badal was with them, but today the party is nearly finished in Punjab,” Pawar said. In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and BJP were together for several years, he pointed out. “Today, the BJP is planning how the Shiv Sena can be weakened by creating a division in the party, and (present Maharashtra CM) Eknath Shinde and others helped,” he added.
In doing this, the Shiv Sena was attacked by the party which was once its ally, he said.
Nitish Kumar had on Tuesday pulled the plug on his party JD(U)’s alliance with the BJP and resigned, and followed it up by staking claim to form a new government in Bihar with support of the opposition grand alliance. His move came days after BJP national president J P Nadda recently said in future only an ideology-driven party like the BJP will survive, while others ruled by families will perish.
Responding to Pawar’s remarks, Devendra Fadnavis said, “In Maharashtra, Shinde camp has 50 MLAs while BJP’s strength is at 115. Despite having more seats, we allowed Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde to become CM. Pawar’s woes are different and we all know this.”
Pawar’s party was a constituent of the previous Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, which collapsed in June this year following a revolt by Sena MLA Eknath Shinde and 39 other legislators.
Speaking about ongoing fight between Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camps over party symbol bow and arrow, Pawar said, the rebelled members should chose another symbol and instead avoid controversy.
“I also left Congress after differences with them. But when I founded new party, I chose a new symbol and went to people. The Shinde camp should avoid confrontation on this and go ahead with new symbol.”
