Asserting that the Congress party stands with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday said that the BJP was trying to bring down the government in the State with an eye on the Presidential polls.
“The BJP is trying to destabilise the Maharashtra government because they want numbers for the Presidential elections,” Mr. Kharge told reporters, adding that the pattern followed in Maharashtra is similar to how Opposition governments in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh were brought down.
“I can directly say that the Central government and the BJP are interfering to destabilise a stable government. All these things like shifting of MLAs to BJP-ruled States like Gujarat and Assam cannot happen in a day’s time,” he noted.
Responding to the statement of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut that the Sena could consider walking out the MVA alliance if that was the wish of the majority of the MLAs, the Congress leader said that the Sena leader’s statement was “aimed at asking their MLAs to place their demands before the right forum”.
“I spoke to him [Sanjay Raut] and he said let them [Sena MLAs] come to Mumbai and speak to the Chief Minister and put their grievances before him. I want to say that we are with Aghadi and want to continue with Aghadi and deliver whatever promises we have made in the common minimum programme,” Mr. Kharge said.
Earlier, in the day, Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, targeted the Centre for being “busy with toppling elected governments instead of helping the flood victims in Assam”.
“This is cold-hearted, brutal, insensitive and never before have we seen that at a time when people do not have access to drinking water, the government is diverting its resources to its political ambitions,” Mr. Gogoi said, adding, “They have become blind and therefore, they are only interested in their lust for power.”
The Congress MP also targeted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks that the State would gain revenue from the visit of the Maharashtra MLAs. “Unfortunately, the Chief Minister takes this as a joke,” Mr. Gogoi added.
