Congress focused on people's problems, not speculation about power tussles, says Nana Patole

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole. File Pic

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Thursday said that the Congress is more concerned about common issues like rising inflation and farm losses due to unseasonal rains and not power tussles.

Patole said his party does not want to get involved in a competition for the post of chief minister in the state.

"Congress does not want to get involved in the competition for the post of chief minister in the state. People's issues are important to Congress. We are fighting for the people's issues. The public will decide who will be the Chief Minister. Congress has Plan B, Plan C, all the plans are ready. We will reveal those plans at the right time. Currently, the people of the state are facing many problems, farmers are suffering due to bad weather and hailstorms. There is rising inflation, the Barsu refinery project is being thrust upon the locals. There was a massacre in Kharghar in a state-sponsored programme and the government is covering it up. People's issues are important, we focus on them," he said.

The Eknath Shinde government is facing opposition heat over the Barsu refinery project in the coastal Ratnagiri district, and the recent deaths of 14 persons due to sunstroke after attending the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in Kharghar of Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai.

Also Read: We will not tolerate oppression of locals for Barsu project: Maharashtra Congress

Patole asserted that his party is not interested in any other discussions.

Patole also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying before accusing the Congress of indulging in corruption, the PM should look into the state governments being run by his party.

"In Karnataka, the Chief Minister's post was auctioned for Rs 2500 crore... Former Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar himself has said that. Karnataka has a 40 per cent commission government. Narendra Modi should give an answer to all these allegations first. You cannot exonerate yourself by accusing the Congress. You must answer allegations of corruption leveled against your party. If you want to continue to mislead people by making baseless accusations against Congress, remember that people know your real face," he added.

Patole slammed Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and said that the people gave BJP power twice at the center with a majority, but now the BJP must answer what it gave to the people.

"You don't need BJP's certificate to tell what Congress has done in 60 years. After independence, the country had nothing, from a needle to a rocket was achieved under the leadership of the Congress government. The country reached the pinnacle of development, making India a superpower in the world under the Congress. If the Congress governments had not worked for the development, where would the wealth of the country that Narendra Modi is selling today would have come from. Narendra Modi should stop what he is doing to mislead the people by continuously putting up arguments against Congress. It has been 9 years since Narendra Modi came to power, what has he done for the country?," he asked.

Patole further said that PM Modi has failed miserably on all fronts. "This is the first time the country has seen a Prime Minister running the country by selling the country's wealth. The real face of Narendra Modi is now known to the people of the country and he neither belongs to the Hindus, nor Muslims, nor to the country," he added.