Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
As Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar continues to keep Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies on tenterhooks by his repeated meetings with rebel nephew Ajit Pawar who has joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are planning to keep a strategy ready to face the 2024 general elections without Pawar on board.
Both have openly voiced their discontent over the repeated meetings between Pawars. Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thack-eray is likely to speak to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about MVA and Pawar’s actions. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, who held a meeting with Thackeray and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday for over two-and-a-half hours, has already spoken to Gandhi. Raut, however, claimed that Gandhi was not discussed in Sunday’s meeting.
“MVA is a formidable force in Maharashtra. But we have to act united and strong to take on the BJP. We have to keep our strategy ready for the 2024 elections. The Congress and Uddhav Sena want Sharad Pawar on board and will try everything possible to keep the alliance intact. But such repeated meetings harm the opposition’s reputation and create confusion in the minds of our workers. Therefore, we will have to keep our strategy ready, to go for Lok Sabha polls without him (Pawar),” said a senior Congress leader and former minister.
“Uddhavji can decide his party’s political move from Mumbai, but we will have to take instructions from Delhi. Therefore, Delhi, too, has been informed about the political happenings in Maharashtra,” the leader said. He added that keeping strategies ready does not mean breaking an alliance. “But we want to be ready for any eventuality,” he said.
Congress has already asked its observers to travel to all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and analyse the ground reality. A report from all these observers will be discussed in the party’s core committee meeting scheduled on August 16 in Mumbai.
The Sena, too, has worked on its constituencies and is ready with the plan to face the elections. Even in case of opposition INDIA front’s meeting scheduled in Mumbai, the Congress and the Sena are taking the lead as no senior leader from Pawar-led NCP has joined the meetings for organising the upcoming event.
Patole confirmed that the party high command has been keeping an eye on the development. “If they (Sharad and Ajit) are relatives, then they can always visit each other’s house, but why meet secretly somewhere else? We discussed this in a meeting with Uddhavji and Rahul Gandhi was also informed about the same,” Patole said.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Baramati, Pawar repeated that he has no plans to join hands with the BJP. “We have clarified this and there should not be any confusion. After clarifying this once, do not create confusion by asking this question repeatedly,” he said. When asked about the Saamana editorial questioning him about the meetings, the senior Pawar snapped at the reporter saying he can’t talk about his (Raut’s) opinion.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
