Mumbai: Following the crushing defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, state unit Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday accused the BJP of conspiring with the Election Commission to “murder the spirit of democracy”.
In an interview with IANS, Patole said that the election results shocked everyone as the public had decided to oust the Mahayuti government and bring the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to power.
He also talked about MVA’s electoral prospects in future elections, rumblings within MVA, RSS chief’s statement on fertility rate and more.
Following is the full interview:
IANS: Were the Maharashtra election results shocking for Congress? Where do you think the party failed?
Nana Patole: More than us, the public of Maharashtra is shocked. This is because the public was against the Mahayuti and they had decided to replace the government in the state. BJP won the elections by deceit. It has conspired with the Election Commission to murder the spirit of democracy.
The coordination of the Congress was good. We were organisationally good and we had selected good candidates from among the people.
The way the Election Commission committed the sin of increasing 76 lakh votes at night… we have started seeking answers for it. A delegation of the Congress had gone to the Election Commission. We have asked them some questions. We have not received a written answer yet. After the written answer, we will take a further decision on this.
IANS: Mahayuti won the Assembly elections easily. What do you have to say about this?
Nana Patole: We are a political party. After the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the people here are quite surprised. The people are against the sins committed by Mahayuti. The people had made up their minds to oust Mahayuti from Maharashtra.
When BJP people from Delhi used to come to the elections, the people here did not support them. People did not go to their meetings. The farmers were angry with Mahayuti. The common man was angry with inflation, the youth was angry because of unemployment. How did this government come after all this?
In a democracy, BJP has even ended the right to vote of the people. The Election Commission and the BJP together are working to kill the democracy of this country in broad daylight. This feeling is in the minds of the people. The Congress party will work to protect the feelings of the people and the Constitution.
IANS: If the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had announced the CM’s face before the elections, do you think the results would have been different?
Nana Patole: I don’t want to go back now. But the rigging that has been done by the Election Commission is not good for our democracy. Congress will fight that battle. The ECI is stopping people from conducting mock polls. Some people were detained. Was that treason? I have the right to check whether my vote is correct or not. But the government is taking action by filing cases against people.
IANS: Was the EVM really rigged? What is your take?
Nana Patole: I don’t want to comment on what someone’s opinion may be. In a democracy, no leader is bigger. In a democracy, the public is bigger. There is distrust in the minds of the public. Today, the common man is saying that his vote is not safe. Such a system has been provided in our Constitution, and the Election Commission should conduct elections through ballot papers. The whole truth should come before the people.
Our party’s high command has taken this into consideration, and hence, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has also tabled a demand to conduct the elections in ballot paper. I think planning to deal with this issue has also started.
IANS: Will Congress contest alone after the defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections?
Nana Patole: It is the role of Congress to take all the parties of the alliance together. If someone does not want to stay together, that is their issue. The leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) are free to make decisions because some of their party leaders make contradictory statements. Congress believes in taking everyone along. BJP wants to end the Constitution. Congress will never let this happen. We will continue to fight our battle.
IANS: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), part of the INDIA bloc, is contesting the elections alone in Delhi and Congress is contesting alone. What do you think of this?
Nana Patole: Every party can make their own decisions. No one has any problem with this. All this happens in a democracy.
IANS: Rahul Gandhi always raises the issue of Veer Savarkar. Do you back his claims of the latter betraying the nation by apologising to the British?
Nana Patole: This is not the issue of Rahul Gandhi. Media tries to divert attention from the main topics of the nation and tries to raise baseless issues of the past. Efforts are being made to divert people’s attention from today’s issues by creating stories from history.
China has occupied our border. This is not discussed in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress want there should be a discussion on inflation, unemployment and farmers in Parliament. We do not discuss what Veer Savarkar was.
IANS: What do you think of the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh?
Nana Patole: Instead of Bangladesh, we should discuss what is happening in Manipur. Today, the people of the nation itself are not safe. There is talk of discussing the Bangladesh issue. But why is the government running away from discussing Manipur?
I want to say that the situation prevailing in the country, people are not feeling safe. Women are being tortured, they are being burnt alive. Should the government not discuss this issue?
IANS: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has compared the situation in Sambhal and Bangladesh and has said that the attackers of both places have “same DNA.” What is your take on this?
Nana Patole: Yogi Adityanath is responsible for maintaining the law and order of Uttar Pradesh as the Chief Minister of the state. He is not able to control the law and order here and then talks about Bangladesh. People like them have no right to stay in that post. They are sitting on this post after taking oath on the Constitution. These people cannot talk about religion.
During the Maharashtra elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath raised slogans like ‘Ek hai to safe hai’ and ‘Batenge to katenge’.
IANS: Did your party members not get the invitation for the oath-taking ceremony?
Nana Patole: We did not receive any invitation. This is not called a swearing-in ceremony. The public is saying that the coronation has taken place. That was not a swearing-in ceremony at Azad Maidan. It was a coronation ceremony of the BJP. The atmosphere was like a coronation.
IANS: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s ‘Benami’ (unlawful) properties have been released, now that he has formed an alliance with the Mahayuti, have been released. What do you have to say about this?
Nana Patole: I want to ask a question… PM Modi used to say, ‘Na khaunga na khane dunga’ (I will neither engage in corruption, nor will I allow anyone else to do so). If this is benami property, then deposit it with the government. How is this property being given to Ajit Pawar?
Money is being collected from common people by bringing GST law. Today, the people of the country know where the money is being given after looting the common man. BJP has committed the sin of giving benami property to Ajit Pawar. We will take this to the public.
IANS: Your alliance partner Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi has ditched you. What do you have to say about this?
Nana Patole: We will hold talks with Abu Azmi and his party and will try to understand his stance.
IANS: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has advocated for a fertility rate above 2.1. How do you see this?
Nana Patole: This call lies with the family. Mohan Bhagwat has not been married. I think he should marry. Instead of advising people, he should lead the way. It is the mother’s right to decide the number of children she wants to have. It is not for the RSS or BJP to decide. Inflation has made life a living hell and they want people to have more children? Many people, especially the women, have rejected this.
IANS: Will you contest the Municipal Corporation elections alone or with the MVA?
Nana Patole: We will decide after the announcement of the elections.
IANS: SS (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has said that if you had not resigned from the post of party president, then government would not have fallen two and a half years back. What do you think of this?
Nana Patole: It is good that he is realising the influence I have.
IANS: You do not have the numbers that anyone from your party becomes the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. How do you see this?
Nana Patole: We will fight for the public. We believe we will work with dedication.
IANS: Many leaders from your party did not take the oath as a member of the Assembly. What is the reason behind this?
Nana Patole: After the government came to power in Maharashtra, enthusiasm was not visible among the people. The public said that this government has not come to power with our votes. People are making this allegation. If we did not vote for this candidate, then how did he get so many votes? We are the representatives who provide justice to the public. Today we thought that we would not take oath. The voice of the public should reach the Election Commission. We will take the voice of the public to the Election Commission.
IANS: What will you say about law and order in Maharashtra?
Nana Patole: Devendra Fadnavis has seven and a half years of experience. The Home Department will remain with him. We have told him that the law and order here is bad. We will seek answers from the new government on the issue of law and order.
IANS: BJP is accused of eliminating regional parties. What will you say?
Nana Patole: BJP’s National President J.P. Nadda has said that we will eliminate all regional parties. His intention is that no one should be left in the democratic system.
IANS: What do you have to say on stash of cash being found on the seat of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha?
Nana Patole: CCTV footage shows who has kept the money on the table. He sat at his table for three minutes. After that, he left. It is being said that he had a stash of Rs 500. Instead of making an issue of this, it is better that authorities have a look at the CCTV footage.
–IANS