Haryana assembly election results: Nana Patole slams Sanjay Raut, says won't tolerate any accusations against Congress

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Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Wednesday slammed Sanjay Raut, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), for the latter's remarks on the Haryana assembly election results, stressing that accusations against Congress "will not be tolerated". The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), along with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, form the Opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi in the state.

The sparring between the two allies cropped up at a time when the seat-sharing deliberations for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls is yet to be finalised.

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a third consecutive term in Haryana, Raut suggested that Congress' "overconfidence" was responsible for its defeat as the party did not 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, reported news agency PTI.

"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 assembly election results as "unfortunate", pointing out that the Jammu and Kashmir elections were won by the
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

"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.

Congress launches vehicle campaign to 'expose BJP-led state govt's corruption'

Rejecting talks that the Haryana assembly election results will have any bearing on the upcoming Maharashtra state polls, Raut said, "Had Haryana polls contested by INDI alliance and seats allocated to Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), 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 its best performance in Haryana to retain power and halt the Congress' comeback attempt in the assembly elections, results of which were announced Tuesday, stated PTI.

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

Meanwhile, Congress on Wednesday launched a campaign vehicle to "expose corruption committed by the BJP-led alliance government". The vehicle, which will travel across the state, was flagged off by Patole, PTI reported.

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

"Gujarat has taken [investments worth] Rs 7.5 lakh crore and 5-lakh jobs away from Maharashtra. The Congress' campaign vehicle will inform people about how the Central Government has turned Maharashtra into an ATM and looted it," he said during the flag off, for which senior Congress leaders were also present.

Accusing the Mahayuti government of depriving youths of jobs, Patole alleged that Chief Minister 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 stated.

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 BJP had formed a government in Jammu and Kashmir with Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP), "even though she supports Pakistan".

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

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

(With PTI inputs)