NCP chief Sharad Pawar
Amid Maharashtra Assembly election campaigning, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party's dig over his age with a Hindi song "Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoon (I am still young)."
While addressing a rally in Kolhapur, Pawar (78) said, "They say I am 80 years old. Do you think I am old? I won't sit quietly until the Sena-BJP government is removed in this state. And for that 'Abhi toh main jawan hoon. Koi chinta karne ki kaaran nahi hai (I am still young. No one needs to worry)."
Pawar is seen as the only opposition leader of NCP alliance who has been addressing rallies for October 21 state election, in which the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is expecting a smooth victory.
Earlier, BJP-Shiv Sena mocked Pawar of his age.
Uddav Thackeray, Shiv-Sena chief said, "Don't worry about them. Their leader is in Bangkok. Sharad Pawar should not push himself so much. This is the time for him to sit at home."
While, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said in another campaign, "We will retire Sharad Pawar permanently from social and political life after results of assembly elections are out."
On the other hand, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attacked NCP-Congress alliance at an election rally in Dhule, "The Congress and NCP are in bad shape. Their state of mind is that of defeat. Rahul Gandhi is holidaying in Bangkok. He knows they are going to lose in Maharashtra and he does not want to come here. (Sharad Pawar) Pawar Saheb is on tours. But even he knows his party is on the brink of collapse. Half his party has left before elections and the other half will leave after elections. Sushil Kumar Shinde says we are so exhausted that after elections Congress and NCP will merge."
All 288 assembly constituencies of Maharashtra will go for polling on October 21.
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