Freebie schemes benefited AAP in attracting voters: Maharashtra NCP chief

Mumbai: Freebie schemes helped Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attract voters and in turn made them win a national party status said Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State president Jayant Patil on Tuesday.
The Election Commission withdrew NCP's recognition as a national party while granting AAP the status. "As far as AAP is concerned, freebie schemes seem to be working for them. They announced it to attract voters in different elections and to present themselves as a national party. But in NCP we don't do this. It is not possible and affordable for the State. Also, we have to be consistent in doing so. We won't announce freebies and burden the State," Patil said.
Patil said that the party had failed to meet some criteria that make it a national party. "There are some criteria that need to be fulfilled, we fell short of them. but I'm sure in coming days, probably in the next five to six months and in upcoming elections we would regain the recognition as a national party", he said.
While commenting on Ajit Pawar's statement of full faith in EVMs, he said, "That may be his personal view. There are many people who think that EVM should go and election should return to ballot boxes."
Responding to senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil's statement on the Babri Masjid demolition, he said, "It's been 40 years since the Babri demolition. There are a lot of other issues that politicians need to discuss instead of this. I don't think people would believe in what Chandrakant Patil is saying after 40 years of the incident." (ANI)