‘Don’t welcome those who left the party’: Kharge’s advice to Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar

Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, too, mentioned about splits in the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Mallikarjun Kharge, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtra politics, Prakash ambedkar, indian express news

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (File Photo)

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday advised both Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar to not welcome those who have left the party in present times after returning to power. “Many have left your side in recent times. Those who are gone are gone. Don’t worry about them. But yes, they will come back when you come back to power. Do not welcome them then,” Kharge said.

Recalling his conversation with a leader from Maharashtra who recently quit the party, Kharge said, “He had come to me and cried saying how ED and CBI were targeting him. I said, will you give up on your principle because you are being threatened.”

Addressing the gathering earlier, Thackeray said that he will not back down despite people quitting his party. “This is the time when we all unite. Those who tried to divide us will be defeated. Those who are joining you (BJP) are not the real electorate. The real electorate is sitting in front of me. Irrespective of people quitting, we will fight,” he said.

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Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, too, mentioned about splits in the Shiv Sena and the NCP. “I want to tell Uddhavji and Sharad ji that they (BJP) took your legislators only. In my case, they took my chacha (Nitish Kumar). I want to tell Uddhav ji and Sharad ji, all those sitting in Maharashtra government are dealers and not leaders… Modi ji talks about guarantee. I want to tell him to forget about other guarantees, first give me the guarantee of my chacha (Nitish Kumar).”

VBA non-committal

Amid speculations of Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) joining the opposition INDIA front, Ambedkar remained non-commital on the same at the event. “Whether we remain together or fight independently, we are going to fight the BJP… we are trying to fight together in Maharashtra,” he said.

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