BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde.
Credit: X/@TawdeVinod
Pune: BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has said the slogan 'batenge toh katenge' being used by his party during the ongoing campaign for the Maharashtra assembly elections presents a "reality".
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has used the slogan, which means 'divided we perish', frequently in his campaign speeches, even as state BJP leaders Pankaja Munde and Ashok Chavan have said that such a message, with alleged communal overtones, was not appropriate in Maharashtra.
Asked about this reaction, Tawde told reporters here on Friday that "'Batenge toh katenge' is a reality."
"In Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits got divided and as a result got slashed. If those who think the country should develop themselves get divided, then others benefit. So do not get divided into castes and communities, and that is why 'ek hai toh safe hai' (united we are safe) is also an equally important message," said the former Maharashtra minister.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly will be held on November 20 and the counting of votes will take place three days later.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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