Pawar questions if Modi had mandate for third term

Pawar noted that the BJP fell short of a majority in the recent Lok Sabha elections and had to rely on allies to form the new government….reports Asian Lite News

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for a historic third consecutive term, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar questioned whether Modi had a genuine mandate to lead the country.

Pawar noted that the BJP fell short of a majority in the recent Lok Sabha elections and had to rely on allies to form the new government.

Speaking at a party gathering in Ahmednagar, marking the NCP’s 25th foundation day, Pawar highlighted that the BJP’s need for support from allies like the Telugu Desam Party and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar raised questions about their mandate.

“Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister on June 9. But did he have the mandate of the country before taking the oath? The BJP did not have a majority and had to seek help from allies to form the government,” said Pawar.

He also remarked on the change in the BJP-led NDA government compared to previous terms. “During the election period, Modi referred to the government as ‘Modi Sarkar’ and guaranteed his leadership. Today, that ‘Modi guarantee’ is no longer there.

It is now the Government of India, not just Modi’s government, due to the people’s vote forcing a different approach,” Pawar told the audience, reflecting on the Lok Sabha poll results.

‘Decentralisation of power started in India’

The process of ‘decentralisation’ of power has been initiated in India after the just-concluded Lok Sabha 2024 General Elections, as the people have voted wisely, Sharad Pawar said.

Addressing the Silver Jubilee of the party he founded on June 10, 1999, Pawar, 83, said that in the last five years, the country witnessed a government that was run on whims of some persons without giving any thought for the nation.

“There was an attempt to centralise power, whatever they felt was the right policy, or the laws as they deemed fit… Fortunately, due to the peoples’ verdict, such a situation will not recur in the country.

“The masses have taken note of it and the manner in which they voted, the power that was concentrated in the hands of just one or two individuals has become limited now,” said Sharad Pawar.

In what is viewed as a veiled attack on NDA 3.0 which took office on Sunday, without taking names, senior Pawar said the country is seeing a much changed scenario now, though the government is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Overall, there is a huge difference between the voting patterns in 2019 and then in 2024, as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s winning figure and parliamentary majority have been slashed, he pointed out.

“If they (BJP) had not secured the support of the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (U), then they lacked the capacity to complete their majority independently in Parliament,” Pawar declared.

He was flanked by National Working Presidents Supriya Sule and PC Chacko, state President Jayant Patil, General Secretary Dr. Jitendra Awhad and other senior leaders.

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