Kolhapur: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday urged the Opposition not to lose hope following its defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. He encouraged leaders to reconnect with the public, who, he noted, do not appear overly enthusiastic about the BJP-led Mahayuti’s resounding victory.
Pawar emphasised that the Opposition’s primary focus should be on holding the ruling alliance accountable for delivering on its election promises, including increasing financial assistance for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme from Rs1,500 to RsRs,100, and ensuring these commitments are fulfilled promptly.
“It is true that we have been defeated. We should not fret over it, but go back to the people, as no enthusiasm is visible among the people about the election results. There is a lot of resentment,” the senior politician said at a press conference here.
“The Opposition’s strength in the assembly is low but many young Opposition MLAs will show their mettle after a couple of sessions,” Pawar said.
To a question on Samajwadi Party’s state chief Abu Asim Azmi announcing that his party was pulling out of the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after the Shiv Sena (UBT) hailed, in a newspaper advertisement, those who demolished the Babri Masjid, Pawar sought to play down the development.
The central leadership of the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was of firm view that Opposition’s unity is necessary, he said.
Opposition parties can not demand that a Leader of Opposition must be appointed as they do not have the required numbers, Pawar said.
None of the Opposition parties, including Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP), Congress or Sena (UBT) individually have the minimum 29 MLAs — ten% of the Assembly’s strength — to be eligible to get the post.
