During the Assembly election campaign, the BJP has prominently promoted slogans like "Katenge to Batenge" (Divide and Rule) and "Ek Hai to Safe" (United is Safe), while increasingly focusing on the "Vote Jihad" narrative. In the final stages of the campaign, Devendra Fadnavis showcased a video of Maulana Sajad Nomani at a Khadakwasla rally, accusing the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of "Vote Jihad" and attacking the alliance. In response, Sharad Pawar addressed the issue at a press conference in Satara.
Sharad Pawar's Response to "Vote Jihad"During the press conference in Satara, Sharad Pawar was questioned about the "Vote Jihad" controversy. Responding to Fadnavis's allegations, he remarked, "The term 'Vote Jihad' has been coined by Devendra Fadnavis. It wasn’t created by anyone else. The reason behind this is that in certain constituencies, minorities have voted for the candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance."Also Read| No Voting Card? 12 Documents Other Than Voter ID Allowed for Polling in Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024.
Addressing the example shared by Fadnavis, Pawar said,"For instance, in some specific areas of Pune where the Hindu community dominates, they have voted for the BJP. We are used to this trend in such regions. However, I don’t label this as Jihad or attach any religious connotation to it. It’s simply a reflection of the ideology of the people in that area."
Criticism of BJP's Religious PolarizationSharad Pawar strongly criticized the BJP for giving a religious color to the elections. He stated, "By using terms like 'Vote Jihad,' it is evident that Devendra Fadnavis and his colleagues are trying to give this election a communal tone. We are entirely opposed to this approach."
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On "Batenge to Katenge" SloganReferring to the BJP’s "Batenge to Katenge" narrative, Pawar explained, "This is purely communal politics. Promoting ideas like 'Batenge to Katenge' implies that they are convinced they won’t form the government. As a result, they are attempting to spoil the harmonious atmosphere between Hindus and Muslims by fostering division and communal tensions." Pawar emphasized that such rhetoric was damaging to social harmony and reiterated his opposition to any attempts to communalize the elections.