Mumbai: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday advised Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar not to welcome those who quit their parties Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party( SP) respectively in the event of both parties returning to power in Maharashtra.
‘Many have left your side in recent times. Those who are gone are gone. Don’t worry about them. But yes, they will come back when you come back to power. Do not welcome them then,’ Kharge both leaders, The Indian Express reported.
Kharge recalled that a leader who quit a party had come to him, crying and saying that ED and CBI were targeting him. Kharge said he had asked him whether he would give up on his principles for having been threatened.
Thackeray earlier told a meeting that his party will fight the polls despite leaders quitting, adding that “This is the time when we all unite”.
‘Those who tried to divide us will be defeated. Those who are joining you (BJP) are not the real electorate. The real electorate is sitting in front of me. Irrespective of people quitting, we will fight,’ he added.
Addressing the gathering, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav , too, brought up the issue of leaders from the Opposition camp crossing over to the BJP.
“I want to tell Uddhavji and Sharad ji that they (BJP) took your legislators only. In my case, they took my chacha (Nitish Kumar). I want to tell Uddhav ji and Sharad ji, all those sitting in Maharashtra government are dealers and not leaders… Modi ji talks about guarantee. I want to tell him to forget about other guarantees, first give me the guarantee of my chacha (Nitish Kumar),” he was quoted as saying.