Mumbai: In what could be seen as a dig at the State leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior party leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said power never stays with one party forever.
“Those who rule lose some time, while those in opposition become rulers at other times. This exchange of power goes on forever. Politics has to have difference of thoughts, but thoughtlessness in politics is a real danger,” Mr. Gadkari said. He was speaking at a function in Mumbai to mark the 61st birthday of former State Speaker and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Dilip Walse-Patil.
Complimenting Mr. Walse-Patil for his absolute dedication to NCP president Sharad Pawar, Mr. Gadkari said that at a time when changing political allegiance for the sake of power has become the trend, people like him set an example of sticking to one’s ideology.
Mr Gadkari’s comments were also seen as a word of caution to the BJP-led State government.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mr. Pawar presided over the function. Leaders from the Shiv Sena, Congress, RPI and Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) leaders, were also present.
This is the fourth event in four months where senior leaders of the BJP have attended felicitations of NCP leaders, triggering speculations of increasing closeness between the parties. “When people in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar see this, they find it strange. But Maharashtra politics is much different. We may be political opponents, but participate in each other’s times of happiness and sorrow. We are bound by social duty in such cases,” said Mr. Gadkari.
Last week, addressing a programme in Amravati to felicitate Mr. Pawar, Mr. Fadnavis had said that a generous opponent is better than a selfish friend, in an apparent dig at the Sena. Showering praises on Mr. Walse-Patil on Friday, the CM said a politician begins his new innings at 61. “He is an experienced parliamentarian. As speaker of the House, he upheld the democratic values,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
