BJP trying to destabilise Maharashtra govt with eye on presidential polls, claims Kharge

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the BJP and the Centre of attempting to destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra to form its own government and get the numbers for the upcoming the presidential election.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said the BJP has been making similar attempts in the past to topple non-Congress governments across the country and one has seen this happen in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Manipur in the past.

Kharge said he has held talks with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and others and they want that the rebels return to Mumbai and raise their grievances before the chief minister and the Shiv Sena chief who will resolve their issues.

He alleged that the BJP has played havoc with non-BJP governments in the past and they are trying the same thing in Maharashtra also.

The BJP is using ED, CBI and other agencies to destabilise non-BJP governments and that is what is being done in Maharashtra, The Congress leader alleged.

"The BJP government is making attempts to bring down the Maharashtra government. The BJP first took the Shiv Sena MLAs to Surat in Gujarat and then to Guwahati, which has BJP governments.

"One should understand that this is the game being played by the BJP and it wants to bring down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra which was formed by the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP to ensure development in the state," he told reporters.

The MVA government is functioning strongly but the BJP is making all attempts to destabilise it, Kharge said, alleging the BJP wants that there should not be any non-BJP government anywhere in the country.

"I can say this with confidence that the Central government and the BJP are responsible for destabilising the Maharashtra government," he said.

"The BJP also wants its numbers in the presidential election. It wants to topple the Maharashtra government during the Presidential election to get the numbers."

Terming it an internal matter of the Shiv Sena, Kharge said, "We will together fight and strengthen the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. We are ready to offer any kind of help in this regard."

He said his party is going to stand with Maha Vikas Aghadi and "we want to work together".

Asked about Sanjay Raut's statement that they are ready to move out of the MVA government provided the rebels return to Mumbai, the Congress leader said, "The MVA government will be there and the rebels will return and I hope they will resolve their issues by bringing them before the Shiv Sena chief and CLP leader Uddhav Thackeray."

"Their issues will be resolved soon after their return to Mumbai and that is why Shiv Sena leaders want them to return and raise their issues before the Sena leadership. If they are not satisfied then that is another question," he said.

Whether or not they will come out of the MVA government, Kharge said one must remember that the Maha Vikas Aghadi was formed to ensure Maharashtra's development all the three parties are working towards it.