Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday took a pot shot at BJP chief J P Nadda for launching the saffron party's 2024 Lok Sabha campaign in Maharashtra with the slogan `Mission 45'.
There are 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and not 45, he said sarcastically while also reminding the BJP chief that his party lost the Assembly elections in his home state, Himachal Pradesh.
"I am surprised....he should have launched Mission 48 as there are 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and not 45," Pawar said, when asked by reporters at Baramati in Pune district.
"He is the president of his party and the party has the right to choose him as president, but despite being in power in the state and Centre, he could not be successful in the elections (in Himachal Pradesh)," the NCP chief said, adding that there was no need to take such statements of BJP leaders seriously.
Asked about marches being taken out by Hindutva outfits in Maharashtra demanding a legislation against `Love Jihad', Pawar said the BJP is in power at the Centre and in the state.
"They can take decision....Who is opposing it?" Pawar said.
`Love Jihad' refers to unsubstantiated claims made by some Hindu right-wing groups about the existence of a conspiracy to convert Hindu girls to Islam by marrying them.
On the Supreme Court holding demonetization as valid, Pawar, a former Union minister, said it was the apex court's decision and "we all have to accept it."
But in future, people may write on demonetization's economic impact and different opinions will come to the fore, he added.
To a question about Telangana Rashtra Samithi being renamed as Bharat Rashtra Samithi and its plan to start its campaign to spread across the country from Maharashtra, Pawar said every party has the right to expand its base.
"I am happy that the leadership of TRS has taken the decision to expand the base of the party," he added.
