Chakan: The Maha Yuti candidate and former Shiv Sena MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil will enter the fray in the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency on the NCP (AP) ticket. Sitting NCP (SP) MP and the MVA candidate from Shirur Dr Amol Kolhe has wished him well and criticized him too.
Dr Kolhe said, “The Shirur Lok Sabha contest will not be between Kolhe and Adhalrao but between a loyalist and a turncoat.” Dr Kolhe has been combing his constituency from the day he was named the party’s candidate.
He visited the Khed-Alandi assembly constituency on Thursday. Speaking at a media interaction in Rajgurunagar, he said, “When a warrior does not surrender, then he is defamed. Similarly, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been framed in the excise policy scam by the ED.” He was commenting on the arrest of Kejriwal by the agency.
Ajit Pawar’s criticism
Without naming Ajit Pawar, Dr Kolhe hit out at him saying, “Those who do not bend before the ruling BJP at the Centre, they meet Kejriwal’s fate. But those who surrender get a wash in the BJP washing machine and also get a share in power.” He praised Kejriwal for fighting rather than surrendering.
Suppression of regional parties
Dr Kolhe called the BJP slogan ‘Modi’s Guarantee’ as an eyewash. He said, “The BJP has given the slogan ‘Abki bar charso par’ (winning 400 seats in the poll). However, why did the party cause splits in two major parties (Shiv Sena and NCP) in Maharashtra? Why did the party take away leaders from the third major party (Congress)?” As though this was not enough, the BJP is now luring the MNS. However, the BJP’s agenda is to suppress regional parties, he added.
Comment on the Ajit Pawar-Dilip Mohite Patil meeting
He expressed surprise over Ajit Pawar’s all-out efforts to defeat a farmer’s son. He said that Pawar, the National President of the NCP (AP), had to visit Khed NCP (AP) MLA and Adhalrao’s opponent Dilip Mohite Patil to placate the latter. These actions are indications that Pawar is not confident about his candidate’s victory.