Sharad Pawar says Congress is like 'zamindar' who can't maintain 'haveli', suggests reality check for the party

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the Congres should accept that it no longer holds sway from 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' like it once did.

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: NCP supremo Sharad Pawar gave a piece of advice to Congress, a partner in Maharashtra's ruling alliance, saying it should accept the fact that it no longer holds sway from 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' like it once did.

The NCP chief told a Marathi digital platform on Thursday that the country's oldest party should undertake a reality check.

Sharad Pawar said, "There was a time when there was Congress from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But not so anymore. This (reality) should be accepted. The closeness (with other opposition parties) will increase once there is a mentality (within Congress) to accept this (fact)."

The veteran leader further said, "When it comes to leadership, my colleagues in the Congress are not in a mind to take a different point of view," adding that when told about Mamata Banerjee being the face of the united opposition for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress people say they have Rahul Gandhi. 

"All parties, especially colleagues in Congress, are not ready to take a different stance on their leadership," Pawar added.

When asked if this was due to arrogance, Sharad Pawar cited an anecdote about "zamindars (landlords) who have lost most of their land and are unable to maintain their 'haveli' (mansion), adding "I had told a story about Uttar Pradesh zamindars who used to have huge land parcels and big 'havelis'. Due to land ceiling legislation, their lands shrunk. The Havelis remain but there is no capability (of the landlords) to maintain and repair them."

Pawar further said, "Their agricultural income is also not (as much) as earlier. From a few thousand acres, their land has shrunk down to 15 or 20 acres. When the zamindar wakes up in the morning, he looks at the surrounding green fields and says all that land belongs to him. It was his once but doesn't belong to him now." 

Asked if Congress could be compared to a Patil (chief) of a barren village, the Maratha leader said that he wouldn't like to make that comparison.

Sharad Pawar meets CM Uddhav Thackeray

The NCP president met Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's official residence `Varsha' on Thursday, and handed over a cheque of Rs 2.36 lakh for the Chief Minister's relief fund on behalf of the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, a renowned educational institute.

The meeting that lasted for about an hour also sparked off speculation about the issues the two leaders might have discussed. During the meeting, Maharashtra chief secretary Sitaram Kunte was reportedly present.

The veteran leader did not speak to the media but late tweeted, "As chairman of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, I handed over a cheque worth Rs 2.36 lakh to CM Uddhav Thackeray for the CM relief fund. The fund is raised as one day salary by all the teachers and non-teaching staff of the Sanstha." 

"I hope the fund would be helpful for the state's ongoing measures to bring down COVID-19 cases," he further added.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiating a probe against NCP leader and former home minister Anil Deshmukh in an alleged money laundering case.

The central agency has also summoned Shiv Sena leader and minister Anil Parab in the same case.

(With Agency Inputs)