Sharad Pawar says LS polls results ‘harbinger of change’; INDIA bloc explores govt formation options

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar said that the Lok Sabha results being declared on Tuesday are “a harbinger of positive change” in the country, and the people have taught a lesson to the “BJP’s politics of destroying parties”.

The voters have given the country a new direction in Uttar Pradesh, and even restricted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies ‘satisfactorily’ in the Hindi belt, which was the BJP’s forte, he said, adding “though more needs to be done there”.

Pawar said that he is in touch with the (INDIA bloc) political parties to explore the government formation options, including with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury

“I have not called up N. Chandrababu Naidu… whatever the outcome, after discussing it with colleagues in the other INDIA bloc, we shall share it publicly on Wednesday,” said Pawar.

The NCP (SP) supremo cautioned that results trending for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra — the ruling MahaYuti with around 18 seats trailing behind the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s lead of 29, plus one Independent — “the outcome will impact the state Assembly elections” due in October.

He said that the three allies — Congress-NCP (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT) — have performed well with full unity in the state, and “the people have rejected the BJP’s politics of breaking up parties”.

“I had been saying this from the start. The people have taught a lesson to the BJP’s politics of destroying political parties. They have rejected the politics of ‘mandir-masjid’. The masses have voted on issues like unemployment, inflation, farmers, and other basic concerns confronting them,” said Pawar.

He also noted that the results could further change as the counting enters the final stages in several LS constituencies in Maharashtra, and will be positive in several constituencies like Solapur, Baramati and others.

Pawar’s was the first major reaction to the LS results from the INDIA-MVA leadership, and later on Tuesday, other leaders like Thackeray, Congress state President Nana Patole, and others are likely to speak.

–IANS