Maharashtra Elections: Amid Row Over Comments By Ally BJP, Ajit Pawar's NCP Decides To Field 10% Muslims

Ahead of the Maharashtra elections, Ajit Pawar's NCP has decided to field 10% Muslim candidates. This comes amid the controversies created by the statements of BJP's Devendra Fadnavis and Nitesh Rane.

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Ajit Pawar seems to be warming up to the Muslim community. Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Communist Party, which is in alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, has decided to field 10% of its candidates from the Muslim community. 

Devendra Fadnavis had earlier raised the issue of "vote jihad". Without naming the Muslim community, Fadnavis said: "We saw vote jihad in the [Lok Sabha] elections. Some people were confident of winning the elections against Hindutva forces by voting together. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, vote jihad took place in 14 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra and the Mahayuti lost... It is time to wake up."

Addressing a public meeting in the Beed district of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar said: "In view of the elections to be held this time, I want to tell our minority community that out of all the seats that NCP will get under the seat-sharing formula of the Mahayuti, I shall give 10% to the minority community... I am a supporter of Shiv-Shahu Phule who respects all castes and religions...

Taking an indirect dig at BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, Ajit Pawar said: "Some unruly elements put out certain statements differentiating religions, sects, and communities. This is not right... We have to create a new society."

What Did Nitesh Rane Say? 

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane had allegedly targeted the minority community in a speech at a Ganesh Chaturthi programme on September 11. He allegedly instigated people against the community during his speech as the chief guest at the event. 

Before that, an FIR was registered against him for "hurting religious sentiments" through provocative speeches delivered in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district. Addressing rallies in Shrirampur and Topkhana areas, he allegedly made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

Later in an exclusive interaction with ABP News, Nitesh Rane said that he was only speaking for the Hindus in the country. "Ninety per cent of the people in the country are Hindus. Taking care of the interests of Hindus cannot be a crime," he said.