Won't tolerate any accusations: Patole to Raut on his Haryana remarks

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday slammed ally Shiv Sena (UBT)'s MP Sanjay Raut for his remarks on Haryana poll outcome, stressing that accusations against Congress won't be tolerated.

Notably, the sparring between the two key Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents cropped up even as the seat-sharing deliberations for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls is yet to be finalised.

A day after the BJP won a third consecutive term in Haryana, Raut suggested Congress' overconfidence was responsible for its defeat as the party didn't cobble up an alliance and instead chose to go solo.

He also claimed that the Congress relies on allies in weak regions but ignores them in its stronghold areas.

"Any accusations against the Congress party will not be tolerated. The political situation in Haryana and Maharashtra is different. Congress fights elections alongside its allies, as was seen in the Lok Sabha elections," Patole told reporters, responding to remarks made by Raut.

Earlier in the day, Raut described the Haryana polls results as "unfortunate", pointing out that the Jammu and Kashmir elections were won by the INDI alliance.

"Wherever Congress is weak it takes help from regional parties, but where it thinks it is strong, the Congress assigns no importance to regional parties," Raut told reporters.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprises Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP).

Rejecting talks that the Haryana poll verdict will have any bearing on the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, Raut said, "Had Haryana polls contested by INDI alliance and seats allocated to Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), such scenario would have helped the alliance, but Congress thought the battle would be one-sided and it will win on its own".

Bucking anti-incumbency, the ruling BJP pulled off a hat-trick of wins in Haryana to retain power and halt Congress' comeback attempt in the assembly elections, results of which were announced Tuesday.

According to Raut, the Congress fell aside in Haryana due to deft election management by the BJP, which divided opposition votes.

Meanwhile, Congress on Wednesday launched a campaign vehicle to "expose corruption committed by the BJP-led alliance government" flagged off by Patole.

The vehicle will travel across the state.

Patole alleged the state government was responsible for the flight of industries to Gujarat over the two-and-a-half years.

"Gujarat has taken (investment worth) Rs 7.5 lakh crore and 5 lakh jobs away from Maharashtra. The Congress's campaign vehicle will inform the people about how the Central government has turned Maharashtra into an ATM and looted it," he said.

Senior Congress leaders were present at the launch of the campaign vehicle near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

Accusing the Mahayuti government of depriving youths of jobs, Patole alleged that CM Eknath Shinde and his two deputies had virtually pawned Maharashtra to Gujarat.

"The poll campaign vehicles will travel across the state to inform people about the Gujarat connection of corruption committed by the state government," the Congress leader alleged.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the people of Haryana foiled the hateful conspiracies of the Congress and "urban Naxals". He dubbed the Congress an irresponsible party and a factory to "spread hatred" which wants to divide Hindus and pit one community against another.

Responding to Modi's remarks, Patole said the BJP had formed a government in Jammu and Kashmir with Mehbooba Mufti's PDP, "even though she supports Pakistan".

"The BJP had formed alliances with several parties for the sake of power," he added.

The MVA was formed after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections when the Uddhav Thackeray-led undivided Shiv Sena walked out of the alliance with the BJP. Subsequently, Thackeray took oath as the chief minister, however, he had to resign midway because of the rebellion in the Sena.