Opposition Parties Condemn BJP's Campaign Tactics in Maharashtra
Political tensions are rising in Maharashtra as the campaign for 29 municipal corporations gains momentum. Party members from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Indian National Congress have launched sharp criticisms against the Bharatiya Janata Party. They accuse the BJP of erasing its own political legacy and dragging down campaign standards.
Supriya Sule Leads Charge in Pune
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule campaigned actively for candidates in the Pune Municipal Corporation on Monday. Her party has formed an alliance with Ajit Pawar's NCP for these elections. Speaking to reporters, Sule expressed strong disapproval of recent BJP statements targeting senior Congress figures Vilasrao Deshmukh and Shankarrao Chavan.
"It is deeply unfortunate that the BJP has chosen to target deceased Congress members during its campaign," Sule stated clearly. She noted the Deshmukh family responded with decency to criticism against Vilasrao Deshmukh, but found it shocking that Ashok Chavan did not react to barbs against his own father.
Controversial Remarks Spark Outrage
The controversy centers around two specific incidents. BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan declared in Latur that memories of Vilasrao Deshmukh would be erased from the district. Latur happens to be the home district of the Deshmukh family. Chavan later offered an apology for his remarks.
In Nanded, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made pointed comments about politicians from previous regimes failing to ensure development. He spoke these words without directly naming Shankarrao Chavan, but delivered them in the presence of Chavan's son Ashok Chavan. Interestingly, Ashok Chavan recently switched from Congress to BJP.
Congress Joins the Criticism
Congress leaders have echoed similar concerns about declining campaign ethics. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the BJP of stooping to new lows. "Today BJP has targeted Deshmukh and Chavan, but their actual target is different," Sapkal explained. He suggested the present BJP leadership wants to erase the legacy of party stalwarts like Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde.
Sapkal emphasized that earlier BJP leaders never used such language against political opponents. This represents a significant shift in the party's approach to election campaigning.
Changing Character of BJP
Opposition leaders argue the BJP has transformed fundamentally over recent years. Supriya Sule highlighted what she sees as a vast difference between the original BJP and its current leadership. "Earlier, BJP could proudly claim it was a party with a difference," she recalled. "Now it ignores its own loyalists."
Sule pointed to the sidelining of former cabinet minister Prakash Javadekar as evidence of this change. Javadekar previously stood at the forefront of election campaigns but now appears marginalized within party ranks.
The municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra have become a battleground not just for votes but for political narratives. Opposition parties are framing the BJP's campaign tactics as disrespectful to departed leaders and indicative of broader changes within the ruling party.
