Did a telephone call purportedly made by senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar seeking more time to produce letters of support to back the formation of a government prompt Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to expedite the process of recommending the President’s rule in Maharashtra?
There was an intense speculation in the political circles all through the day that Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP’s Legislature Party leader, had telephoned the Governor at 11.30 am on Tuesday, seeking three more days’ time to express its ability to form a government in the state. Having assumed Ajit’s request for more time as the NCP’s inability to form a government, the Governor sent off the recommendation to the Government saying President’s Rule must be imposed since no party or alliance was in a position to provide a stable government in the state.
The Governor’s recommendation went to the Centre at least more six hours before the expiry of deadline of 8.30 pm on Tuesday set by him to the NCP to indicate its “willingness and ability” to form a government.
The question immediately arose was whether Ajit Pawar had taken the Congress into confidence before making such a telephone call, especially ahead of an important meeting scheduled between the senior Congress leaders and his party chief Sharad Pawar later in the evening.