BJP has Bakasur-like “greed for power”, says Maha Congress chief

Mumbai | Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat on Wednesday said the BJP’s “greed for power” was like Bakasur, a demon in the Mahabharat who had a huge appetite, as he hit out at the saffron party over the fall of the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka.

He said the BJP is not content with ruling states where it has been voted to power. Talking to reporters here, Thorat said,” The BJP’s greed for power is like Bakasur. It is in power at the Centre and some states. “But, it wants to take over states ruled by opposition parties as well. Is the BJP a political party or Bakasur.”

The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka headed by H D Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to three-week long intense power struggle.

Asked about the possibility of alliance with Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi for the upcoming Maharashtra polls, Thorat said the Congress was of the view that “secular” parties should come together to take on communal forces.

“We are ready to forge an alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi,” said Thorat, who recently took over as the Maharashtra Congress president. The state Congress will hold division-wise meetings of party workers from tomorrow as part of its preparations for the assembly polls likely in October, he said.

“The meeting for Konkan will take place in Navi Mumbai tomorrow followed by Nashik and Pune over the week for North Maharashtra and Western Maharashtra, respectively,” he informed.

Thorat said the main opposition party, which received a drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, has received “tremendous” response to applications invited from ticket aspirants. “Party workers are confident that the Congress will rise again,” he added.