Pawar: K’taka template can be implemented in other states

Mumbai: Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Sunday met NCP president Sharad Pawar at his residence in Mumbai and discussed providing an alternative to BJP, a meeting coming a day after the saffron party’s drubbing in Karnataka elections. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Pawar indicated that the Karnataka template needs to be implemented in other states, and for that, like-minded parties will have to work on a common minimum programme (CMP).

“The Karnataka assembly elections have given a message. We need to work on creating a situation like Karnataka in other states. The Congress alone gave an alternative to the BJP in Karnataka, but in other states, like-minded parties will have to work on a common minimum programme (CMP),” the NCP chief said.

We will work on both fronts (of creating a strategy like Karnataka and the CMP) and we are starting this process, he added.

Raja spoke about a common understanding to defeat the BJP.

“The state-level strategy can be worked out. We may find some time to interact in Delhi now. The BJP can be defeated and it will lose the 2024 parliamentary as well as state (Maharashtra) elections. The myth of the party being invincible has been broken,” he said referring to the Karnataka poll outcome.

In Karnataka, the Congress won 135 seats out of 224, while the ruling BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.

Meanwhile, state NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Sunday that the BJP’s crushing defeat in Karnataka is a boost for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra which will take small parties along and put up a united challenge to the ruling party in the 2024 elections.

Speaking to reporters after attending the MVA meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence ‘Silver Oak’ here, Patil said the MVA- comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress- will work out a seat-sharing formula ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra assembly elections, due in the second half of the next year.

MVA leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and state Congress chief Nana Patole, attended the meeting.

“Like Karnataka, I am sure the MVA will win the people’s trust in Maharashtra and will work with more strength,” Patil said. He said MVA leaders have decided to hold talks with other small parties and are hopeful of presenting a united opposition to the current dispensation in the country in 2024.

“The three constituents of MVA will meet and work out a seat-sharing formula ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra assembly elections. We are starting steadily and slowly,” Patil added. He said the public rallies of MVA, titled ‘Vajramooth’, currently put on hold will resume after the summer heat subsides.