This Article is From Oct 27, 2017

Wrong To Call Rahul Gandhi Pappu, Says BJP Ally Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut however on Friday clarified that his saying Rahul Gandhi is capable of leading India, does not mean he is saying that the Congress leader should become the Prime Minister.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said Rahul Gandhi was ready to lead the country.

New Delhi: BJP ally the Shiv Sena has declared that Rahul Gandhi, the Congress' 47-year-old number two is now capable of leading the country. Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut also assessed that the "Modi wave has faded", and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP has suggested that the party stop playing "the roles of a ruling party and an opposition at the same time".

"Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is capable of leading the country...It is wrong to call him 'Pappu'," said Mr Raut in a television discussion on Thursday. Pappu is a name BJP supporters use to mock Rahul Gandhi on social media. In an apparent dig at the BJP, Sanjay Raut also added, "The biggest political power in this country is the people... the voters. They can make a Pappu of anyone."

Maharashtra's Education Minister and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde was part of the discussion panel. They were discussing the Gujarat elections with polling dates announced this week, and Mr Raut said the BJP faces a challenge in winning the state a fifth straight time with people angry about new national tax GST. "The way people are marching on roads of Gujarat after GST was introduced, it seems they (BJP) are going to face a challenge," Mr Raut said, adding, "The Modi wave was there in 2014 general elections but now it seems to have faded away."

Today, Mr Raut told news agency ANI that his saying Rahul Gandhi is capable of leading India, does not mean he is saying that the Congress leader should become the Prime Minister. The Sena lawmaker said he merely meant to highlight that things were different now. "Three years ago, we used to call him Pappu, but now the situation has changed," he said.

The clarifications came after Chief Minister Fadnavis, in whose government the Shiv Sena participates, said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray must decide if he wants to continue their alliance. "...they oppose all our decisions. They can give their suggestions, but cannot simultaneously play the roles of a ruling party and an opposition at the same time. People are watching everything and will not approve of this dual stand," Mr Fadnavis said.

He also said that "As a party, Uddhav-ji has to decide...some of his leaders think they are bigger than the party chief and make (critical) statements."

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has been on the rocks ever since the BJP's mega win in 2014 national election, which included more parliament seats than any other party in Maharashtra. Months later, the BJP also won the most seats in the assembly elections, establishing itself as the state's number 1 party. The Sena, unable to come to terms with its new status as junior partner, regularly attacks PM Modi and the BJP, threatening to dismantle their alliance.

The Sena does not have a major presence in neighbouring Gujarat. Earlier this year, Uddhav Thackeray had earlier this year promised support to 24-year-old Hardik Patel, the face of the Patel or Patidar agitation for reservation in government jobs and colleges in Gujarat, when they met at Matoshree, Mr Thackeray's home in Mumbai.

Hardik Patel was quoted today as saying that he would support the Congress in Gujarat, after days of denying that he met Rahul Gandhi earlier this week. The powerful Patels have been loyal BJP supporters for years and if the Congress can make any inroads into that vote base, it will be a significant gain for the party.

Rahul Gandhi has campaigned aggressively in Gujarat highlighting GST as a draconian tax regime that has brought small traders to their knees. Mr Gandhi's strategy is to target traditional BJP support bases, including Patels and traders.

Elections in Himachal Pradesh next month and then Gujarat in December kick off a series of key state elections before the national election in 2019, when PM Modi will seek a second term.

(With inputs from agencies)
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