Whenever PM Modi targets us, BJP loses votes: Sharad Pawar

Pune, June 19 (PTI) NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said he wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to criticise him more, as whenever Modi targets him and his party, the BJP loses votes.

Pawar, a prominent leader of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra, was speaking during an interaction with farmers in Katewadi area of Baramati in Pune district.

The NCP (SP) chief also reiterated that he wanted to bring about a change in the state and secure power to deal with the issues faced by the people. Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in October.

Katewadi is a stronghold of Pawar's estranged nephew and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The prime minister visited and held rallies at 18 places in the state during the Lok Sabha elections, and in eight of these rallies, Modi spoke mainly about him, senior Pawar said.

"Was it an ordinary thing that the prime minister of the country took my name in half the rallies? He criticised me wherever he went. I want to tell him that please pay more attention to us, as whenever he pays more attention, whenever he criticises us more, votes go against (the BJP)," Pawar said.

There were attempts to bring in a dictatorship in the country, but the people are wise and because of them the democracy remained intact, the former Union minister said.

Pawar also took a veiled swipe at hoardings of Sunetra Pawar, Ajit's wife, coming up in Baramati after she was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

Somebody told him that while a lot of hoardings had been put up, there were no hoardings from our side, he said.

"I told him, we do not need hoardings. Let there be hoardings everywhere, but the important thing is who got votes and who won the elections," he said.

Sunetra Pawar lost to Supriya Sule, incumbent MP and Pawar's daughter, in Baramati Lok Sabha seat. Talking about Chhatrapati Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana (cooperative sugar mill) in Baramati, which is controlled by Ajit, Sharad Pawar said it was set up by people from Katewadi years ago. "It was doing well, but I have no idea what has happened now. There is a need to go in depth to check who is guiding it," he said.

He asked the gathering about the FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) they were getting for sugarcane from the sugar mill.

Some farmers said they were getting Rs 700 to 800 less than what was being paid by Malegaon sugar factory, also located in Baramati.

"There was a time when Chhatrapati Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana was at number one position....To mend things, we need to stay together," Pawar said, adding that people will have to take the right decision in coming elections, whether they are for the state assembly or a cooperative sugar mill. PTI SPK KRK