Would BJP cross 300 LS seats if Pulwama had not happened: Sena

Days after Army chief Bipin Rawat said the terror launchpad at Balakot has been reactivated by Pakistan, the Sena said such statements have an “impact on the political atmosphere” in the country. The Sena indirectly indicated there is a pattern to push national security issues before key elections in the country.

After taking potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making scrapping of Article 370 an election issue in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena now asked the ally if it would have crossed 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, if Pulwama attack and the retaliatory Balakot airstrikes would not have happened.

The Shiv Sena now asked the ally if it would have crossed 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, if Pulwama attack and the retaliatory Balakot airstrikes would not have happened. (REUTERS)

The Sena’s statement comes after Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar’s remark that a change in power is likely in Maharashtra if there is no “Pulwama-like incident”. “Pulwama and Balakot became an election issue for the BJP. Had Pulwama not happened, would the BJP have crossed the 300-mark,” the Sena asked in an editorial in Saamana. “The BJP high command has announced that Article 370 will be an election issue for campaigning in Maharashtra. Now the Army chief said that 500 ‘Jaish’ terrorists are ready to infiltrate into India from Balakot… This is worrying because there is an election in Maharashtra.”

Days after Army chief Bipin Rawat said the terror launchpad at Balakot has been reactivated by Pakistan, the Sena said such statements have an “impact on the political atmosphere” in the country. The Sena indirectly indicated there is a pattern to push national security issues before key elections in the country.

The editorial stated, “No information on what is happening in Kashmir is being put out currently. But it is important that the information on Balakot was brought forward by the Army chief… The opposition has said that with elections around the corner topics such as Balakot are being discussed and the Army chief should stay clear of statements that may favour a political party. We do not think that the Army chief made the statements to help any political party, but it has an impact on the political atmosphere.”