Ramdas Athawale Slams Congress, Backs Respect for Poll Verdict

Mumbai, Oct 29: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has launched a sharp attack on the Congress over the Legislative Council election outcome, claiming the party's public support is weakening.

According to Athawale, the Congress contested 12 seats across the country. Voting took place for 28 seats in four states, yet the party was able to secure only one. He described the result as a clear sign of erosion in its base.

He said the Congress's position was weak even in Karnataka, where it governs, as no seat was won there. In Maharashtra, of the five seats in contest, three went to the Mahayuti and two to the opposition.

Recalling Rahul Gandhi's repeated claims that the machines were defective and that ballot paper should be used, Athawale said the Congress still managed only one seat after the ballot system was adopted. He argued that public anger over Rahul Gandhi's agitations had contributed to the poor showing.

On party affairs, Athawale said there were no real disagreements in the NCP. He credited Ajit Pawar's leadership and said Sunetra Pawar, who has now been handed responsibility, takes decisions after consulting others. He cited the appointment of Zeeshan Siddique as Mumbai president, pointing to his record as a city MLA and his father's contribution to the party. Any differences, he said, would be sorted out through discussion.

Athawale also responded to actor Naseeruddin Shah's comment about having a 'Naxal mindset'. He said Shah is a respected actor with a deep understanding of social issues and has the right to offer suggestions to the government and to criticise the BJP. However, he said describing oneself as having a Naxal mindset was not appropriate, because Naxalism has caused heavy losses to the country. He noted that violence slows development and that Naxalism had reached a near-complete decline, with several Naxal members returning to the mainstream.

On Akhilesh Yadav's allegations of rigging in the UP MLC polls, Athawale said that if anyone had done something wrong, it could be raised, but such accusations should not be made casually. He pointed out that officials, police and workers from all parties are present during voting, so proving fraud requires a separate process. He asked Akhilesh Yadav to respect the mandate, given the seats his party has won, and to refrain from questioning the outcome. He added that everyone should show restraint.