Margaret Alva, the joint opposition candidate running for Vice President, has tore into Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his comments that no money would be left in Mumbai or Thane if all Gujaratis and Rajasthanis left. In her attack, however, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was also the target.
Ms Alva is up against Mr Dhankhar, who the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has named as their Vice Presidential candidate.
"The comments by the Governor of Maharashtra are unfortunate, but not unexpected. The message he's received from the ex Governor of West Bengal's candidature for VP is: controversy, foolish comments and operating like an extra constitutional authority, is behaviour that gets rewarded," Ms Alva tweeted.
During a speech yesterday, the Maharashtra Governor had said, "If Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, no money would be left here," adding that Mumbai would not be able to remain the financial capital of the country.
After backlash from the opposition, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said these were the Governor's personal comments and he did not support them.
Mr Dhankhar and the Trinamool Congress government in Bengal led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had often clashed over administrative to political matters, with Ms Banerjee's party often accusing the Governor of interfering in the state's affairs, with New Delhi working as the remote control.
Eventually, after a meeting between Mr Dhankhar, Ms Banerjee and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Trinamool Congress announced it would abstain from voting in the Vice Presidential election to be held on August 6.
Mr Dhankhar's elevation as Vice President of India will move him out of Bengal to Delhi, and for Ms Banerjee, that is a huge win.
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