Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's "development book" has improved much since 2014, but he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, cannot be compared with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Shiv Sena said on Wednesday.
The remarks came in the editorial of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana two days after it sealed a pre-poll alliance with the BJP despite years of bickering and criticism of its policies and leaders.
Responding to opposition criticism of the seat-sharing pact, the Shiv Sena noted questions on the tie-up are less in the minds of people but much more among political opponents as these "insects" will be crushed due to the alliance.
Referring to Modi's stewardship, the Shiv Sena editorial said, "Rahul Gandhi's book of development has improved much since 2014 and he has Priyanka's help. However, they can't be compared with Modi's leadership."
Asserting that the Shiv Sena is not helpless for power, the editorial said there were several questions—like why did it ally with the BJP despite differences in 2014, will the Ram Temple be constructed, will there be Sena's chief minister—and the answers to these questions were "positive".
Instead of replying to questions on the alliance, it was better that the "arrangement" made for the benefit of Maharashtra was taken ahead, the Shiv Sena editorial said.
The Marathi daily said BJP president Amit Shah himself came to Matoshree, the residence of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray told Shah what he had to and it was finally decided to give the alliance another chance, the editorial claimed.
Maintaining that there was no enmity between the Shiv Sena and the BJP, the editorial said if Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) head Nitish Kumar could rejoin the NDA despite differences of opinion with Modi and if the Congress could forge a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), then the Sena had always been a part of the BJP-led coalition.
The Shiv Sena said there was resentment in 2014 against the Congress and its allies and there was a "wave" in favour of Modi.
However, in 2019, the wave has receded and elections have to be fought not on the back of the "wave", but on ideology, development works and future, the Shiv Sena editorial added.
