Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said here on Tuesday that through Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party’s landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, the people in the national Capital had shown that the country would henceforth run on ‘Jan Ki Baat’ and not ‘Mann Ki Baat’, while NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the process of the BJP’s removal from power at the Centre had begun.
Uddhav took an indirect dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and people of Delhi on AAP’s superlative performance in the Assembly polls.
Without taking Modi’s name, Uddhav – who is also the president of the Shiv Sena—said: “I would like to extend my heart-felt congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi on AAP’s victory in the Assembly polls. The people of the Delhi have shown that the country would henceforth run ‘Jan ki baat’ and not Rs Mann ki baat’ “.
“Despite the fact that there is a government of nationalistic ideology, the principal ruling party – despite having used all its might— could not withstand the power of humble broom (the AAP’s poll symbol). The strong party fielded its top leaders in its campaign, dubbed Kejriwal as a terrorist, ignored local issues and tried to divert the attention of people using international issues. Despite all this, the ruling party at the Centre could not defeat Arvind Kejriwal in the polls,” Uddhav said.
“The people of Delhi stood solidly behind a honest person who believed in development matters of the national capital and reposed their confidence in democracy. The people have not only shown that they are as patriotic as those in the ruling party at the Centre but they have also removed the misconception sought to be created by the party in question that all those opposing it were traitors,” the Sena president said.
Congratulating Kejriwal on behalf of Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena on AAP’s electoral success, Uddhav wished him all the best for his development-oriented tenure as the chief minister.
While congratulating Kejriwal on AAP’s victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, Pawar came out with a sharp reaction. “The process of the BJP’s removal from power at the Centre has begun. The BJP has already suffered defeats in the earlier Assembly polls. The serial of the BJP’s debacles will not end here. The people are now of the opinion that they want to elect governments that believe in development work”.
“In Delhi Assembly polls, the fight was basically between the two parties. The people did not consider the thrird party (Congress). More than whom to elect, the people showed that they were more interested in whom to defeat,” the NCP chief said.
“I am not all surprised by the outcome in the Delhi Assembly polls. A large number of Marathi-speaking people live in Delhi. When I made enquiries with them, they showed their preference to Arvind Kejriwal,” Pawar said.
“Despite the fact that Delhi is a State where Prime Minister Modi lives, people talk more about Arvind Kejriwal than the former. He has resolved the issues of people and children in the national capital are being inculcated with good values because of the good education they are being imparted,” the NCP chief said.