Sharadchandra Pawar Lauds RSS, Urges His Party To Build Similar Ideals (image:facebook.com/PawarSpeaks)

Mumbai, Maharashtra: In a surprise move, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharadchandra Pawar has praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its dedication and lauded work done by organisation in attaining BJP’s landslide victory in Maharashtra assembly polls. The veteran politician then urged his party NCP (SP) to develop a similar worker base with commitment to progressive thoughts of Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, BR Ambedkar and Yeshwantrao Chavan.

Also Read | Joseph Aoun Takes Over Lebanese President Position Left Vacant For Two Years

While addressing a meeting with party workers in south Mumbai, Pawar stated that RSS cadres exhibit strong loyalty to organization’s ideology and do not deviate from their path at any cost. He also discussed NCP (SP)’s poor performance in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections.

“We became complacent after the Lok Sabha election success, while the ruling alliance (BJP-led Mahayuti) took immediate steps to contain its reverses in the parliamentary polls,” Pawar said

In the Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) won eight of the ten seats it contested but secured only ten of nearly ninety seats in the assembly elections in the State.

Pawar also agreed the party’s failure to communicate with the OBC community, a key voter base in Maharashtra, regarding the efforts they have done for their advancement. He highlighted the importance of “social engineering” to address caste divisions in the Marathwada region, the epicentre of the Maratha quota movement, referring recent incidents of violence. The death of a Dalit in judicial custody after violence in Parbhani district and the brutal murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district were two horrific instances happened lately in the State.

Also Read | Duolingo Launches “Learn English From Tamil” Course For Tamil Nadu Users

Recalling his own experience as former CM, Pawar said: “Such a situation prevailed even during the Marathwada University renaming controversy, but I went to the university and interacted with all stakeholders.” Adding further, he said that similar steps for engaging with people and social engineering strategy is required now.

Pawar then declared that in the upcoming local bodies elections in the State, 50 % of the tickets will be allotted by his party to new faces. He further denoted plans to restructure the organisation for strengthening the party.