NCP chief Sharad Pawar and BSP president Mayawati opting out of contesting the Lok Sabha polls is a clear indication of a certain victory for the NDA, the Shiv Sena said on Friday.
It also claimed Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would spoil the game for the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, reasoning the vote bank of the Congress and Mayawati is similar. In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena said Pawar and Mayawati not contesting was a sign that the road was clear for Narendra Modi to return victorious as prime minister.
"Along with Sharad Pawar, Mayawati too has decided not to contest the Lok Sabha polls, the importance of which is that they are out of the prime ministerial race," the Shiv Sena editorial said. Quoting Mayawati, the Shiv Sena editorial said she wants to campaign for her party's candidates across the country, hence she chose not to contest herself.
However, the editorial reasoned, the BSP has presence only in Uttar Pradesh, and, therefore, the decision to opt out meant Mayawati was running away from a fight. Pawar has sought a similar escape route from the Madha Lok Sabha constituency, the Shiv Sena claimed.
Taking a dig at the NCP chief, the Shiv Sena said Pawar was trying to unite the entire opposition, but couldn't bring his own family and party members on the same page and therefore had to opt out.
"Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil's decision to leave the NCP and join the BJP is a big blow for Pawar. It will stop the second hand of the NCP's clock, which is anyway running slow," the Shiva Sena editorial said, in a jibe at the opposition party's election symbol.
On Priyanka, it said, "In 2014, dalits and Yadavs had voted heavily for Modi and not a single candidate of Mayawati could win. This scare haunts her even today. Priyanka's 'tourism' visits are getting good response and there is a fear in Mayawati that the Congress leader will spoil her prospects from wherever she decides to contest," the Shiv Sena said.
The editorial went on to claim that Mayawati's prime fear is the Congress and not BJP and one of the reasons for her not contesting is Priyanka's foray into active politics. "Neither Sharad Pawar nor Mayawati is contesting. Therefore, two people who dreamt of being prime minister are no more contenders. This proves the mettle of the NDA," it said.
