18 November,2024 08:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Agencies
Congress prez Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is in Maharashtra to rally for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates, urged the voters to defeat those who he alleged had accepted substantial bribes to change allegiance, referring to them as "50 khoke". The Congress chief was speaking at a rally in Vasai on Monday.
The term "50 khoke" (cash boxes) was used after CM Eknath Shinde defected from the undivided Shiv Sena to form a government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2022.
Kharge, without taking names of MLAs who supported Shinde, claimed each person was offered '50 crore to switch allegiance and urged voters to send a clear message in the upcoming election.
He criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti for indulging in divisive politics through its slogans "batenge toh katenge" (divided, we shall perish) and "ek hain toh safe hai" (we are safe if we are one). The Congress chief said that some factions are attempting to fragment society along caste and religious lines. "The Congress and MVA stand for unity and the principles of Dr Ambedkar's Constitution, while the BJP seeks to create divisions," he asserted.
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Denouncing the state's economic policies, Kharge claimed that the BJP-led coalition has severely impacted lives of farmers, workers, women, and youth.
"Under this government, inflation and unemployment are at an all-time high, and farmers are struggling to get fair prices for their produce," he said.
He further accused the BJP of corruption, alleging Maharashtra faced significant financial wrongdoing in the last two-and-a-half years. Asking people to vote for the MVA, the Congress leader said the MVA would deliver on its promises through its "5 Guarantees" and "Maharashtra Nama" initiatives.
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