In a sharp escalation of political rhetoric, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Saturday threw down a direct challenge to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, daring him to resign from his post. Sapkal also called on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to expel the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the state government, highlighting the bitter exchange of corruption charges between the ruling allies during the campaign for the Pune civic polls.
A Challenge to Coalition Integrity
Addressing reporters in Pune, Sapkal questioned the very foundation of the ruling Mahayuti alliance. "Why are these two parties together in the state government when leaders of both are talking against each other?" he asked. He pointed to Ajit Pawar's recent campaign statements where the NCP leader accused the BJP of involvement in corrupt practices.
"Ajit Pawar should resign from his post and withdraw support to BJP to distance himself from the corrupt party," Sapkal asserted, putting the ball squarely in the NCP leader's court. This public dare underscores the deep fissures within the ruling coalition as they contest the high-stakes municipal elections.
Allegations of a "Weak" BJP and Poll Management
The Congress leader did not spare the BJP either, labeling it as a "weak" party. He argued that its strength is hollow, evidenced by its reliance on inducting leaders from other political outfits and allocating them tickets. "If BJP is a strong party, why does it require leaders from other parties?" Sapkal questioned.
He escalated his attack by alleging that the BJP attempts to "manage" the Election Commission of India to secure victories. "We recently observed how BJP managed the municipal council polls. The situation is similar in the ongoing corporation elections," he claimed during his campaign visit to the city. Sapkal further accused BJP leaders of pressuring the administration to redraw ward boundaries for their convenience and ignoring huge discrepancies in electoral rolls.
Confidence in Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT) Alliance
Contrasting the ruling alliance's troubles, Sapkal expressed strong confidence in the opposition front. He stated that the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance in Pune is receiving massive public support despite the BJP's alleged tactics. He predicted a rejection of the BJP by Pune's voters, citing public anger over the party's failure in controlling crime and maintaining law and order.
"Pune city, famous for its educational facilities, was now infamous because of rising criminal activities," he lamented. Sapkal also accused both the BJP and NCP of fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds, questioning their need for such support if they had truly implemented good schemes for the people.
Dismissing Poll Promises and Looking Ahead
On the NCP's campaign promise of providing free Metro and PMPML bus services, Sapkal dismissed it as empty, recalling the Mahayuti's own unfulfilled assurances. He pointed out that before the state polls, the alliance had promised a farm loan waiver, job creation, and increased installments under the "Lakdi Bahin" scheme, but nothing was delivered.
Sapkal's fiery press conference sets the stage for a tense final leg of campaigning, with the internal conflict of the ruling alliance becoming a central theme for the opposition. The direct challenge to Ajit Pawar's position adds significant pressure on the NCP leadership and tests the resilience of the BJP-NCP partnership in the government.
