As the Bharatiya Janata Party tries to recover from its Bihar poll debacle, ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday dealt another blow to the party, saying that ‘cunningness’ does not always work in politics and that the common man will respond appropriately if promises made are not fulfilled.
‘Many times, a wave comes and then goes. Once it goes, there remains no trace of that wave. It is true that the BJP had a big win in the Lok Sabha elections, but the credit for that victory goes to the weak and ineffective leadership of the Gandhis. There was no strong ‘pehelwan’ (wrestler) in the arena and it (the BJP) thus emerged as the ‘bahubali’,’ the Sena said in its mouthpiece Saamna while ridiculing the BJP leaders for giving advice to others on shedding ego.
Taking a dig at the BJP, the Sena further said their leaders are ‘great’ and ‘cannot make any mistake’ and whatever they say should be considered true. However, the editorial added that ‘in politics, cunningness does not always work’.
Several non-National Democratic Alliance parties have hailed the handsome mandate for the Janata Dal-United-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance in Bihar polls as a ‘victory of principles’ and the defeat of the ‘arrogance’ of the BJP.
‘Sushil Kumar Modi (Bihar BJP chief) has advised Lalu Prasad to shed his ego after winning the Bihar elections. It is comical to see BJP leaders giving advice on ego to others, but in politics and especially during election times, such comical things keep happening,’ it said.
The Sena, a partner in the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said nobody had the formula for consistently winning elections.
The party further remarked that after the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP could not win a majority in the Maharashtra assembly elections despite using what the editorial claimed was its ‘tremendous money power’.
The Sena also criticised the BJP over the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
‘A common man has small dreams. Control over inflation, good education for his children, a roof over his head and security. But what have people got until now?’ it asked.
‘Inflation is not being brought under control and traders are indulging in illegal hoarding, thus creating a shortage of foodstuffs,’ the editorial charged.
