Cong hits out at Mahayuti, says farmers in Maharashtra most neglected
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Sunday hit out at the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, saying it has been formed on "betrayal" and that the people of the state will not forgive them for their "failed" promises.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that farmers were the most neglected in the state as the grand promises made to them have yielded nothing.
He also highlighted how the promise of building a water grid from Marathwada to provide piped drinking water to every village was never fulfilled.
"The Mahayuti is a Government formed on betrayal - of loyalty, of ideology, and of Maharashtra people themselves. Farmers have been among the most neglected, strung along by the Government with grand promises that have yielded nothing," Ramesh alleged in a post on X.
"Those who promised Jalyukt Shivar have only delivered on Jalmukt Shivar. Maharashtra will not forgive them," the Congress leader said.
In 2019, he claimed, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised a Rs 20,000 to 25,000 crore package to build a water grid from Marathwada that would supply piped drinking water to every village.
"Summer this year marked five years of this promise - and it was one of the most water-scarce years that Marathwada has faced. More than 600 villages and 178 hamlets in Marathwada were dependent on water tankers amidst an acute drinking water shortage," he said.
Only 19 percent drinking water was left in reservoirs compared to 40 percent last year, the Congress leader claimed.
"The Godavari river, the lifeline of Marathwada, was also left throttled, with the 88 crores allegedly allocated to its cleaning in 2022 resulting in no meaningful improvement in water quality," Ramesh alleged.
The Congress attack on the ruling coalition of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP came ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, where as part of the MVA, the Congress along with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP, is seeking to wrest power from the Mahayuti alliance.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
