Clash Of Outsiders: In Maharashtra Battleground, Unlikely Adversaries Yogi, Kharge Lock Horns

Last Updated:November 14, 2024, 14:14 IST

While Kharge has been leading the charge in Maharashtra, outshining Rahul Gandhi, Adityanath has become the most-sought after campaigner for BJP after PM Modi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are locked in a war of words in Maharashtra. (PTI)

The Maharashtra elections have become a battle between two unlikely adversaries from outside the state — Yogi Adityanath of the BJP and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress — who are leading the charge from either camp, exchanging barbs and outshining other party campaigners.

It all started with the Congress president attacking the Uttar Pradesh chief minister earlier this week, pointing to the latter being bald and making fun of his saffron attire, advising him to wear white. Kharge has been leading the charge in Maharashtra, outshining Rahul Gandhi and other Maha Vikas Aghadi campaigners like Uddhav Thackeray. In a sarcastic tone, Kharge has taken barbs at the two slogans of the BJP — ‘Batoge toh Katoge’ and ‘Ek Hain to Safe Hain’ — terming them as divisive.

Kharge even said words like ‘batenge, katenge’ were the language of terrorists and did not behove that of a chief minister on a constitutional post. The Dalit face of the Congress in Kharge taking on the prominent Thakur face of the BJP in Yogi Adityanath is also a battle with big political importance.

Yogi, meanwhile, has not been the one to pull back punches. He has become the most-sought after campaigner for BJP candidates in Maharashtra, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and has been to the state thrice for 10 rallies so far.

After various saints objected to Kharge’s statement, this Tuesday, Adityanath replied to the Congress president’s barbs: “I am Yogi and for a Yogi, the country comes first. But for Kharge-ji, appeasement policy takes priority."

He went on to return the personal attack on him by saying that “Kharge-ji’s mother, aunt, and sister were burnt by Nizam’s Razakars, but he forgot it for vote-bank politics…Kharge-ji shies away from criticising the Nizam for fear of losing Muslim votes."

BJP observers say this was an unprecedented attack on Kharge, with the chief minister highlighting a well-known fact to point fingers at the Congress’ apparent silence on the Razakars.

Kharge so far has not responded but his son and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said on Tuesday on ‘X’ that despite the tragedy, his father had never exploited it for political gain, never played the victim card and never let hatred define him.

“It was the Razakars who committed this act — not the entire Muslim community. Every community has bad apples and individuals who do wrong," Kharge said. He accused Yogi of “tyranny and hatred" and asked the CM to “take your hate elsewhere".

The Dalit-Thakur angle came out again in Priyank Kharge’s statement as he said Yogi’s ideology fails to see Kharge as an equal, labeling him as an untouchable and a Dalit.

“Kharge-ji is fighting tirelessly to uphold the values of Buddha-Basavanna-Ambedkar," he posted on X.

The UP chief minister, meanwhile, has been reiterating his rather popular slogan ‘Batenge Toh Katenge’ at all his rallies in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Yogi will now devote time for the campaign in the nine assembly bypoll seats in Uttar Pradesh which are also politically critical and go to polls on November 20.

News elections Clash Of Outsiders: In Maharashtra Battleground, Unlikely Adversaries Yogi, Kharge Lock Horns