Patole takes 'ladka bhau' jibe at Ajit Pawar after clean chit in benami property issue
Mumbai, Dec 9: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday took a veiled swipe at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar saying the Mahayuti after coming to power due to the Ladki Bahin Yojana was now working for the "ladka bhau" (beloved brother).
His remarks were in connection with the clean chit given to the NCP chief by the Prevention of Benami Property Transactions Appellate Tribunal in Delhi. The tribunal had dismissed allegations of benami property ownership against the deputy CM and his kin.
Without taking Pawar's name, Patole, speaking to reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan complex, said, "The Mahayuti claims to have come to power due to the Ladki Bahin Yojana. However, now that elections are over, the ladki bahin (beloved sister) is no longer needed. Instead, they are working for ladka bhau."
Within days of the Devendra Fadnavis government coming to power, "ladka bhau" had got a clean chit in connection with property worth Rs 1000 crore, he claimed.
"This government is clearly working for its favourites. This is just the beginning. Let us see what happens next," Patole claimed.
On the ruling alliance mocking his wafer-thin 208 vote victory margin from Sakoli in the November 20 assembly polls, Patole said such comments "ridicule the decision of voters and ignores public sentiments".
"This arrogance of power is unacceptable. Voters are the true kings of democracy. They have the right to question where their votes have gone." Patole said in an apparent reference to the EVM row.
Patole said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi must be given the leader of opposition and deputy speaker posts in the assembly in keeping with the tradition of the Maharashtra legislature.
"When the Congress had significant majority (in the House), it used to respect opposition parties. The LoP post was given without questioning the numbers of opposition parties. I have discussed the matter with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. I hope LoP post is granted during Nagpur session (set to begin on December 16)," Patole said.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
