Team Uddhav's "Maturity" Dig And 2022 Reminder, Congress's Shayari Reply

The bypoll in Baramati in the aftermath of NCP chief Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash has brought to the fore resentment within Maha Vikas Aghadi, the opposition alliance in Maharashtra.

Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, who succeeded him as NCP leader and Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, is the NDA candidate in Baramati, considered a bastion of the Pawars. While the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have decided not to contest as a mark of respect to Ajit Pawar, the Congress has fielded a candidate.

A 'Maturity' Jab

The latest editorial of Sena mouthpiece Saamana has flagged Congress's "political immaturity" and "narrow-mindedness". The editorial, written by Sena (UBT)'s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, criticises ally Congress's decision to field a candidate in Baramati. "Understanding is not weakness; it is maturity."

"For Congress to be a credible national leader, it must move past sulking over a single seat and demonstrate the grace of a 'Big Brother' who prioritises the collective goal over petty provincial gains," the editorial adds.

The Congress has said that Sunetra Pawar represents the NDA alliance, Mahayuti, and that it cannot allow an unopposed victory. Mahayuti leaders, meanwhile, are using the Congress move to project it as an 'outsider' party that does not honour local leaders.

The Council Polls Backdrop

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar's announcement that he would back Sena (UBT)'s picks for the legislative council has not gone down well with the Congress. State Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said the Grand Old Party has 16 MLAs and must get "proportionate representation". It has also called for a collective decision on such matters after talks within the alliance.

Taking a swipe at this position, the Saamana editorial has said that if Congress believes a single seat defines their "peak", they need to "re-measure the height of their ambitions".

A 2022 Reminder

Pulling no punches, the Saamana editorial has blamed the Congress for the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022. It has said that the "current state of anarchy" followed the Congress's "unilateral decision" to vacate the Assembly Speaker's post without consulting its allies. According to Saamana, the "hasty resignation" of Nana Patole as Speaker created the "structural crack" that allowed the government to be toppled.

Equal Partners, 'Not Regional Crutches'

The editorial packed in another stinging blow. It argued that if Rahul Gandhi aspires to lead at the Centre, the Congress must stop viewing regional parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) as "supporting crutches". Instead, it said, allies must be treated as "equal partners" and "loudspeakers for the sons of the soil".

Congress's Shayari Response

In a sharp response to the Saamana editorial, Congress's Sachin Sawant has said Sanjay Raut often loses track while performing the distinct roles of a journalist and a party spokesperson. "He forgets that he points a finger at someone, four fingers are pointed towards him. He thinks what he says is correct and does not feel the need to discuss it with others in the alliance," Sawant said.

The Congress leader added, "If not for these issues, the Maha Vikas Aghadi would be in power at Mumbai and Chandrapur civic bodies."

The Congress, he said, has a "sincere position" on fighting the BJP. He then added poet Akbar Allahabadi's classic lines, "Hum aah bhi karte hain toh ho jate hain badnaam, wo katl bhi karte hain to charcha nahi hota." The lines loosely translate to, "I get defamed if I utter a sigh, and she murders and no one talks about it." The lines are often quoted by politicians to claim differential treatment.