Shinde govt has no vision, people must oust it in assembly polls: Jayant Patil

Jayant Patil/ X

Jayant Patil, state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has slammed the Maharashtra administration led by Eknath Shinde, claiming it lacks vision and encouraging the public to vote it out in the next assembly elections. Patil made these statements on Monday at an event hosted by the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ).

He voiced concern about the mounting state debt and the deteriorating law and order situation under the current administration. "There is need to focus on fundamental issues of the state. There should be a vision for the state for the next 50 years. People want a farsighted government. That is why people must work towards ousting this government, which is on a temporary mission (of retaining power)," Patil stated.

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When asked about the government's flagship plan, the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana', which gives financial assistance to women, Patil acknowledged that such assistance is vital but questioned the scheme's authenticity. He added that members of the ruling alliance believe the scheme is intended to win elections and may be abolished later.

Women having a family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh are eligible for the initiative and get Rs 1,500 monthly. Patil stated that the opposition will support any program that really assists women in need, and even supported expanding aid if necessary. However, he warned that the state's expanding fiscal imbalance could cause problems, such as salary delays for government employees because the focus is primarily on the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana'.

"I won't be surprised if the (disbursal of) salaries of government employees runs into trouble. Leaving aside other schemes, work is on to just give money to one scheme (Ladki Bahin Yojana). There is a ploy to delay (assembly) polls so that maximum money can be distributed under the scheme," he said.

He further said that the ruling alliance's actions are only motivated by keeping power. Patil also highlighted the growing divides between groups and castes under the Shinde government, which includes the Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

Speaking on Maratha quotas, Patil underlined the importance of a system that provides equal chances based on the demographic proportions of different communities.

When asked about NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's statements on leadership, Patil responded that Pawar has always put the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of personal goals. He reiterated that Pawar's primary purpose is to depose the BJP-led administration, with no regard for who becomes the next chief minister.