Maharashtra Assembly polls: Modi targets Congress over Article 370, steers clear of Sharad Pawar in his speech

He repeated the earlier challenge to the Shiv Sena (UBT) to try and make Rahul Gandhi praise Balasaheb Thackeray and give a speech in favour of Veer Savarkar.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 13, 2024 06:07 AM IST

Incidentally, the PM did not mention Sharad Pawar or his party in his election speech unlike his Lok Sabha election speech, which focused on attacking Sharad Pawar.

Refraining from criticising NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, unlike his Lok Sabha election speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a dig instead at the Congress for its plan to bring back Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir even as he accused the party of creating division among backward communities for political gains.

“The Congress is dividing the country only for gaining power. They are creating fights among the Dalit, backward and tribal communities, and dividing them to gain power. They want to divide SCs, STs and OBCs, and break their unity to weaken them,” said Modi, adding that this was being done to take away their reservation. “We should not forget that ‘hum ek rahenge toh safe rahenge’. We should work towards finishing these anti-India forces,” he said.

Modi said the Congress with its allies is trying to bring back Article 370, which the NDA government removed in Jammu and Kashmir. “They ruled the country for seven decades but could not execute the Constitution written by Babasaheb Ambedkar in Jammu and Kashmir. But we executed it by removing Article 370 and brought peace by hoisting the Tricolour. The country will never accept bringing back Article 370. People of Maharashtra will also oppose it,” Modi said.

“In Karnataka, the Congress made false promises and, after coming to power, they forgot them,” Modi said. “There are only scams coming out of Karnataka. The Congress is looting the people there and using the money for the Maharashtra election. We have to save Maharashtra for which we have to keep the Congress away,” he added.

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He repeated the earlier challenge to the Shiv Sena (UBT) to try and make Rahul Gandhi praise Balasaheb Thackeray and give a speech in favour of Veer Savarkar.

Incidentally, the PM did not mention Sharad Pawar or his party in his election speech unlike his Lok Sabha election speech, which focused on attacking Sharad Pawar. Taking a jibe at Pawar, Modi had referred to him as “bhatakti aatma” (wandering soul) and faced stiff criticism from the Opposition for it. The NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar too had distanced itself from the comment.

The NCP (SP) along with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) performed better by winning 30 of the 48 seats while the NDA got just 17 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Man raises slogans seeking Maratha quota

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Grabbing the opportunity to raise the demand for Maratha reservation, a person sitting in the VVIP section at the public rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday raised slogans seeking quota for the community during the PM’s speech.

The person, wearing a yellow jacket, was sitting along with other dignitaries, mainly BJP office-bearers, and suddenly stood up and raised slogans for Maratha reservation. “We will take reservations for the Maratha community,” the person said, looking agitated.

He was calmed by local BJP party leaders and police. He, however, again tried to grab attention by shouting slogans and had to be taken out of the rally by police.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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