MUMBAI: An article in the latest edition of the
RSS
mouthpiece, Organiser, has described the admission of Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (
NCP
) into the BJP-Shiv Sena govt as an ill-advised step, which "hurt" BJP's cadre. The criticism has come days after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment about the lack of political decorum in the Lok Sabha campaign.
Columnist and RSS member Ratan Sharda's piece said the foisting of "defectors" as candidates in many Lok Sabha seats was done at the expense of local leadership.
"Well performing Parliamentarians" were ignored to accommodate such "latecomers", it said, while pointing out that the party was "enjoying the glow reflected from Modiji's aura" but "not listening to the voices on the street."
"Maharashtra is a prime example of unnecessary politicking and avoidable manipulations. NCP faction led by
Ajit Pawar
joined BJP though BJP and split
Shiv Sena
had a comfortable majority. Sharad Pawar would have faded away in two-three years as NCP would have lost energy with infighting cousins. Why was this ill-advised step taken? BJP workers were hurt because they had fought against the Congress ideology for years and were persecuted. In a single stroke, BJP reduced its brand value. After years of struggle to become numero uno in Maharashtra, it became just another political party without any difference."
Ajit-led NCP has reacted sharply to the article. "Organiser is not the official mouthpiece of RSS, it does not reflect RSS ideology. I do not think top BJP functionaries agree with whoever wrote the article. One keeps finding different reasons for failure. When parties are against each other, they find fault and make accusations. In politics, accusations are thrown at each other. Everything depends on ultimate results. I don't think there's truth in what RSS said," spokesman Unmesh Patil said.
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