Fielding Malegaon blast accused Pragya Thakur in the Lok Sabha elections is a "tactical mistake" of the BJP, NCP general secretary Jitendra Awhad said on Saturday. Mr Thakur was fielded from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency against the Congress's Digvijaya Singh to cover up failures of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, he said.
"Fielding her is a tactical mistake for which they will have to pay a heavy price. This country's structure is secular and people don't like absolute right-wingers and hate-mongers," he said. The BJP party won't get more than 220 seats, he added.
The Nationalist Congress Party leader called actor Akshay Kumar's interview with PM Modi a "publicity stunt". "Akshay Kumar is an excellent artist, but what outstanding academic credentials he has? This interview showed Modi's insecurity," Mr Awhad said.
To a question about PM Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' jibes at NCP chief Sharad Pawar over fielding Mr Pawar's grandnephew Parth Pawar from Maval seat, Mr Awhad said a sanctity should be maintained by leaders when talking about others' private lives.
"Pawar doesn't differentiate between Jitendra Awhad and Ajit Pawar (Parth's father and NCP leader). Do we ask Modi why did he shunt out LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi so unceremoniously?" he said.
On Raj Thackeray's campaign against the Modi government, Mr Awhad said the MNS chief has "won the hearts of people". "We might have differences on several issues but our enemy is fascism, not Modi. The advent of fascism will kill democracy. Whoever fights fascism is a friend," the NCP leader said.
Exit Polls Today: How Accurate Were They In 2014 And 2019 Lok Sabha Polls? Sharad Pawar Leader Tears BR Ambedkar's Poster, Later Apologises Case Against Team Sharad Pawar Leader For Posting Fake News Video Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool This US City Has Been Declared America's Least Desirable, Survey Finds Ukraine, Russia Both Claim Advances In Kursk Region Gaza Ceasefire Talks Underway In Qatar As Deaths Top 40,000 Trump To Hold Press Conference, His Campaign Adds Senior Advisers Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.