Communal, personal attacks indicate mandate going against BJP: Sharad Pawar

“It is being observed after four out of the seven phases of polls that the response to Modi is on decline. The youth and especially the farmers have gone against the BJP. That is the reason why the campaign has now turned communal with Hindu-Muslim issues. Uddhav Thackeray and I are being targeted personally being called ‘bhatkati atma’ (wandering soul) and ‘nakli’ (fake) Shiv Sena. This all is an indication of BJP’s retreat,” he observed. Pawar mentioned that he has withstood personal attacks in the past, including those by Anna Hazare and G R Khairnar. “Where is Anna Hazare today? I don’t think voters take personal attacks seriously,” he said.

Explaining the rebellion of Ajit Pawar, the NCP (SP) chief said that few of the NCP leaders were of the opinion of joining hands with the BJP. “They were without power for five years and were not ready to be in opposition for five more years. Additionally, some had a fear of going to jail. These leaders had discussed with me and I had told them to go ahead while clarifying that I will not come with them,” he said.

“Despite the split in the Sena and NCP, workers of both the parties stand with the original party. It is more with Uddhav Thackeray. Even as leaders have gone, we have handed over the leadership to new workers and it is showing the results,” he said.

Praful Patel

Pawar said that Praful Patel wanted to join the BJP since 2004, when the BJP launched India Shining campaign. “While I had respect for the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, I knew that the BJP will not get votes. Patel had tears in his eyes when I told him to go (to BJP) if he wanted. Despite his opposition to join hands with Congress, I made him the Union Civil Aviation minister in the UPA,” said Pawar.

Merger option

Pawar said that a number of parties in India have been formed by leaders who quit the Congress. “If a party has a single MP or two-three MLAs, then those parties can be merged with Congress,” he said. When asked about his party’s merger, Pawar said, “There is no thinking on it now. I don’t know about the future,” he said.

Social harmony

Commenting on the reports of increasing animosity within different castes, Pawar said that he will be travelling to different parts of the state to promote social harmony. “Yes, I have also heard and observed about the growing caste conflicts which is a matter of serious concern. After this elections, I will be going on a state wide tour to restore the social harmony in different parts of the state,” said Pawar.

‘Helped Modi’

Recalling that during the UPA regime, then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and the then Congress ministers had developed sour relations, Pawar said that at that time Modi used to come to him on issues about Gujarat and he used to help him on Gujarat’s farm related problems. “Many Congress ministers were unhappy with me over this. At a time when USA had denied him visa, in one of my tours to Israel, he asked me to include him in the delegation. So, I had put him and Rajasthan CM Vasundhararaje in the delegation. But that does not mean, I taught him politics,’’ he said, adding that despite all this help, Modi worked to widen the split in his party.