Fearing MLAs crossing over to BJP, Congress & NCP go on ‘Sangharsh yatra’
MUMBAI: Faced with the prospect of becoming irrelevant, and more worryingly, the threat of its MLAs crossing over to the BJP, the Congress and NCP have decided to take out a 'Sangharsh yatra' beginning Wednesday, in an attempt to reach out to the rural heartland of Maharashtra.
The Sangharsha Yatra, slated to cover almost 1,000 kms in rural parts of the state, will see some top Opposition leaders, including former Congress Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan to NCP's Ajit Pawar and other MLAs from the CPM and MIM taking part in the exercise.
While the Opposition has been claiming that it will press for a loan waiver for farmers during the yatra, a few Congress and NCP leaders admitted that the exercise is an effort to stay 'relevant', especially when the BJP is winning elections comprehensively in different parts of the country. "The fact that the BJP won the municipal polls in Maharashtra and the Assembly polls in UP shows that Modi's appeal is still strong among people. We need to take up people's issues, there's no other option. We can't remain relevant if we continue to function the way we have," said a Congress leader preferring anonymity.
While the farmers' loan waiver is an issue, one of the reasons why the Congress and NCP leaders have decided to go to the villages is because of the possibility of their own MLAs joining the BJP in case the Shiv Sena pulls out of the Devendra Fadnavis government.
In fact, it is BJP's Plan B to win over MLAs from Congress and NCP in case its ties with the Sena go sour. This was evident in the 2014 Assembly elections when BJP came to power in Maharashtra, and many NCP leaders joined the BJP and many of them even even got elected on a BJP ticket.
A Congress leader said that the UP elections were a wake-up call for them and the NCP. "MLAs have deserted the party even before the BJP came to power, but with the UP elections, it now seems that BJP will be in power both at the Centre as well as in the state for another term. So, how many MLAs will be prepared to stay out of power for ten years?" asked a Congress leader, explaining the need to be more proactive.
The Sangharsha Yatra, slated to cover almost 1,000 kms in rural parts of the state, will see some top Opposition leaders, including former Congress Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan to NCP's Ajit Pawar and other MLAs from the CPM and MIM taking part in the exercise.
While the Opposition has been claiming that it will press for a loan waiver for farmers during the yatra, a few Congress and NCP leaders admitted that the exercise is an effort to stay 'relevant', especially when the BJP is winning elections comprehensively in different parts of the country. "The fact that the BJP won the municipal polls in Maharashtra and the Assembly polls in UP shows that Modi's appeal is still strong among people. We need to take up people's issues, there's no other option. We can't remain relevant if we continue to function the way we have," said a Congress leader preferring anonymity.
While the farmers' loan waiver is an issue, one of the reasons why the Congress and NCP leaders have decided to go to the villages is because of the possibility of their own MLAs joining the BJP in case the Shiv Sena pulls out of the Devendra Fadnavis government.
In fact, it is BJP's Plan B to win over MLAs from Congress and NCP in case its ties with the Sena go sour. This was evident in the 2014 Assembly elections when BJP came to power in Maharashtra, and many NCP leaders joined the BJP and many of them even even got elected on a BJP ticket.
A Congress leader said that the UP elections were a wake-up call for them and the NCP. "MLAs have deserted the party even before the BJP came to power, but with the UP elections, it now seems that BJP will be in power both at the Centre as well as in the state for another term. So, how many MLAs will be prepared to stay out of power for ten years?" asked a Congress leader, explaining the need to be more proactive.
