Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday targeted the Congress, one of its allies in the state government, for its present state of affairs, claiming that the Congress party’s miserable state does not augur well for the country’s democracy. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, the Shiv Sena said that when the BJP has already launched preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress continues to be mired in dire straits and is unable to put its own house in order.
“Rahul Gandhi left several issues unresolved at the party’s Chintan Shivir held in Udaipur. Because of that, several leaders in different states are parting ways with the Congress. The Bihar and UP units of the Congress don’t have state presidents. The decision of leaders like Sunil Jakhar, Hardik Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasad to leave the Congress shows the failure of the party leadership. The Congress should stand by those of its leaders with a mass following in states that are going to the polls in the near future,” said the Saamna editorial.
“Why did Sunil Jakhar and Hardik Patel desert the party? Balram Jakhar, once a veteran leader of the Congress Party, was extremely loyal to the Gandhi family. Balram Jakhar also became the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Sunil Jakhar, the son of the same Balram Jakhar, led the Punjab Congress for many years but was marginalized, as Navjot Sidhu was given importance. Finally, Jakhar joined the BJP,” the editorial said.
It further went on to say, even though Hardik Patel was made the working president of the Gujarat state unit, he was not given a free hand and ultimately, this led to his decision to quit the Congress.
However, state Congress chief Nana Patole has strongly countered the observations made in the Saamna editorial. “The Congress is tough; several people have come and gone. Instead of focusing on who leaves or joins the Congress, people should worry about the burning issues that the country is facing,” he said.
Mumbai Regional Congress Committee President Bhai Jagtap said the grand old party did not need advice from anyone.
