"Zamindar Who Can't Maintain Haveli": Sharad Pawar's Dig At Congress

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said those in the Congress should accept that their party no longer holds sway from "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" like it once did. He indicated that his partner in Maharashtra's ruling alliance should undertake a reality check.

"There was a time when there was Congress from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But not so anymore. This (reality) should be accepted. The closeness (with other opposition parties) will increase once there is a mentality (within Congress) to accept this (fact)," Mr Pawar said.

"When it comes to leadership, my colleagues in the Congress are not in a mind to take a different point of view," he said told Mumbai Tak, the Marathi digital platform of the India Today group.

Mr Pawar was informed that when told about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee being the face of the united opposition for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders say they have Rahul Gandhi. "All parties, especially colleagues in the Congress, are not ready to take a different stance on their leadership," he said.

Asked if this was due to arrogance, he cited an anecdote about "zamindars" (landlords)".

"I had told a story about Uttar Pradesh zamindars who used to have huge land parcels and big havelis. Due to land ceiling legislation, their lands shrunk. The havelis remain but there is no capability to maintain and repair them," he said.

"Their agricultural income is also not (as much) as earlier. From a few thousand acres, their land has shrunk down to 15 or 20 acres. When the zamindar wakes up in the morning, he looks at the surrounding green fields and says all that land belongs to him. It was his once but doesn't belong to him now."

Asked if the Congress could be compared to a 'Patil' (chief) of a barren village, Pawar said he wouldn't like to make that comparison.