Maharashtra: 'Congress and NCP will have no future', says Vikhe Patil

Maharashtra Housing Minister Rhakrishna Vikhe Patil has said Congress' opposition to abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir shows party has deviated from its ideology of national integration. He also said that Rahul Gandhi set a "wrong precedent" by quitting as Congress chief after losing Lok Sabha polls and his decision "demoralized" opposition party's cre.

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'Congress and NCP will have future'

Talking to PTI while campaigning for BJP and Shiv Sena in Ahmednagar district, which has 12 Assembly segments, former leer of opposition in Assembly said decision to scrap Article 370 was taken to "unite nation". "Congress says its ideology is national integration. But,  party is opposing government's decision. Congress deviated from its ideology long ago. This is reason its numbers in state Assembly came down to 42 (out of total 288) in 2014 polls," he opined. He claimed Congress and NCP will have " future" after October 21 Assembly polls. " BJP-Sena 'Mahayuti' will win with a majority, getting 220 to 230 seats out of total 288. NCP will get 25 to 30 seats, while Congress will finish with 10 to 12 seats," he predicted. BJP will be .1 party with maximum seats, followed by Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, he ded. 

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'Shar Pawar changed his stand'

Vikhe Patil, BJP's minee from neighbouring Shirdi Assembly seat of Ahmednagar, said he was working with an nda of getting a "12-0" result in district. " Congress is contesting only three seats in Ahmednagar, including Sangamner where it has fielded state party chief Balasaheb Thorat. “What will be situation elsewhere in state, less said, better," he quipped. He said state government's decisions of granting quota to Marathas and concessions to Dhangar community were working well on ground, and Prhan Mantri Awas Yojna was also being implemented at vill panchayat-level. "Congress and NCP h majority for 15 years. Why didn't y set up Backward Classes Commission for taking a decision on Maratha quota? (NCP chief) Shar Pawar changed his stand on Maratha quota several times," he said.

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'Rahul Gandhi demoralized his party cre by quitting after defeat in general election'

Vikhe Patil was also critical of Rahul Gandhi for quitting Congress president's post after his party's defeat in Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. "A leer is responsible for defeat and success of party. He set a wrong precedent by quitting. He should have stood by cre. By quitting, he demoralized m and finished ir confidence," former Congress leer said. Congress and NCP have an "individual-centric nda", he claimed. "ir focus is leership, and t people. In Congress and NCP, interests of local or state leers are considered first and n focus is on people," he alleged.  

issue of Nilwande irrigation project in Sangamner for benefit of locals was kept hanging for 25 years. present BJP-led government gave funds for completion of project and w work would be done in two years, he said. "In Congress and NCP, re are many leers while BJP and Shiv Sena have only one each - Devendra Fnavis and Uddhav Thackeray. Hence, implementation of decisions is faster," he claimed. "In Congress and NCP, local issues are kept pending and people are pitted against each or," he alleged, ding that if issues are resolved, ir leers would t have any work. minister said his far late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil worked on 'Maharashtra Pani Parish' for several years, demanding equitable distribution of water. "If previous Congress-NCP rule h accepted his proposals and if it was a success, n credit would have gone to my far, t Pawar. impression here is that only Pawar has solutions to agriculture and water issues," he claimed. Since Congress and NCP have only leers, re is a problem for development works at implementation st itself, he said in remarks laced with sarcasm.

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'Fnavis speaks of a drought-free Maharashtra'

housing minister, who joined BJP after Lok Sabha polls, said he is w satisfied and happy with his decision, since "good suggestions are considered in  Fnavis regime". Praising chief minister, he said Fnavis speaks of a drought-free Maharashtra and Cabinet has approved a detailed action plan to implement ambitious program. "It is an achievement that Fnavis thought about it and prepared a plan to implement it. But, 'Messiah of farmers' didn't think about making state drought-free," he said in a veiled attack on Pawar. He recalled that his far's suggestion of providing water to rainfed areas was rejected by Pawar by saying irrigating such a region was n-productive. "Pawar and my far h differences on this issue. Pawar wanted agriculture sector to be prioritized," he said.