Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Nawab Malik on Friday condemned Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's "batenge toh katenge" slogan, calling it "utterly nonsensical" and that religious slogans don't hold much sway. He also endorsed Ajit Pawar's name for the Maharashtra CM's face.


This comes after NCP chief Ajit Pawar himself slammed the slogan issued by Yogi Adityanath, who is a leader of an ally Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state.


Nawab Malik, in conversation with ABP News, also said that the NCP has always been a secular party and will remain so. "My leader is Ajit Pawr, Narendra Modi is just a promoter for the BJP," he said. 






Nawab Malik On Mahayuti's CM Face


Malik, who was given a party ticket by Ajit Pawar despite opposition from the BJP, endorsed the latter as Maharashtra CM over BJP's Devendra Fadnavis. He also said that there are a lot of contenders in BJP and that someone young should become CM rather than Fadnavis. Malik claimed that there are others within the saffron party who are eyeing the post.


"There are a lot of contenders in BJP...the culture is the name comes from Delhi and everyone agrees to it...Nobody had thought Shinde would become CM...There are a lot of people who have become strong over the years and are eyeing the CM's chair.


"If Madhu Koda could become a Chief Minister with just one seat, then why can't Ajit Pawar? Instead of Devendra Fadnavis, a young leader could be made the Chief Minister in the BJP," he said, backing Pawar.






Earlier today, Pawar had slammed Yogi's slogan, saying: "We all opposed it. Not just my NCP leaders and I, but even Pankaja Munde and [Poonam] Mahajan [opposed]".


"Some other state's chief minister comes and issues a call of 'batenge to katenge'... We told him that this is not UP. This might work in the North, but not in Maharashtra. We abide by the principles of Ambedkar," he added.


Nawab Malik had also criticised the slogan a few days ago saying that such remarks do not benefit anyone and that "this kind of politics has caused a lot of damage in UP".


"Politics based on religion does not last long. We have full faith that politics should be done on the problems of livelihood, clothes, and shelter. There should be talk of development of the people...We want no one should divide the country in the name of Hindu-Muslim," he had said.


Voting for the 288-memeber Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.


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