Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday set the cat among the pigeons by first claiming that there was no split in his party and that nephew Ajit Pawar was his party leader, and later retracting his earlier statement and clarifying, “I have not said that Ajit is our leader.”
Within hours after he made the sensational claim, he said, “I have not said that Ajit is our leader. If my daughter Supriya, being Ajit’s cousin sister, has made such a remark in an off-the-cuff manner, not much should be read politically into her statement.”
Interestingly enough, even NCP’s working president and MP Supriya Sule — who had said initially that “Ajitdada is our leader” — clarified saying, “What I said was Ajit is a big leader in Maharashtra”.
Amid the controversy over Pawar’s flip-flop on his nephew, Ajit chose to remain silent. “No comments” was all he had to say when media persons button-holed him for a comment.
More than seven weeks after the vertical split in the NCP that saw breakaway group leader Ajit walk out of the party and join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP alliance Government as a deputy Chief Minister, Sharad’s reported double-speak has somewhat eroded his credibility as the chief architect of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Reacting to Sharad’s first statement that there was no split in the NCP and that Ajit was his party leader, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut — who is considered to be a close confidant of the NCP chief himself — said the position taken by Sharad was akin to putting feet in two boats and that the people would take a call on the stand taken by the latter.
Earlier, the day began with Sharad claiming that there was no split in the NCP and that Ajit was his party leader.
Interacting with media persons in his hometown of Baramati in Pune district, Sharad said, “Ajit is our party leader. There is no doubt about it. If a party gets separated at national level, then it is called split. No such split has taken place in the NCP. Some people (meaning Ajit, his supporters) have taken a different stand. They have the right to take such a stand in a democratic set up like ours.”
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Sharad says Ajit is NCP leader, later retracts remarks
Coming as it does at a time when the State Assembly and Lok Sabha Speakers have yet to give a ruling on the letter written to them by him seeking disqualification of nine MLAs, including Ajit, and two MPs, Sr Pawar’s remarks triggered a major confusion within his party as well as the Opposition MVA circles.
Surprisingly enough, the legislative group headed by Ajit has not been recognised yet by the Assembly nor has such recognition been given to the breakaway faction led by Ajit in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
Given that he has faced flak over his repeated meetings with Ajit on the pretext of being a family, the latest controversy has put Sharad on the defensive - especially in the run up to the third Opposition India alliance meeting scheduled to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, 2023.
Commenting on Sharad’s flip-flop, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Raut said: “Going with the BJP is nothing joining hands with a party with dictatorial tendencies. The leaders taking such a stand have no place in the MVA. Whoever is scared of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can go with the BJP. Such people could be from my own Shiv Sena or the NCP. Like Sharad Pawar said ‘we are in a democracy’. The people concerned are responsible for whatever decisions they take. But, people choose to put their feet on two boats, then people will make a decision on such leaders.”
Reacting to Sr Pawar’s first statement, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee’s chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said: “Political discussions have begun based on the statements made by NCP President Sharad Pawar. A simple interpretation of Sharad Pawar’s statement is that Maharashtra and the country might see a ‘Ajit Pawar Returns Part-2’.”
“Sharad Pawar has repeatedly made it clear that he will not go with the BJP under any circumstances. So there is no need to interpret his statements differently. But Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and other leaders who are a part of the Government continue to seek Sharad Pawar’s blessings. This means that the answer to the political mess that BJP has made will come from Ajit Pawar returns,” Londhe said.
Londhe charged that the BJP had committed the sin of breaking the Opposition parties by playing the politics of sabotage. “The BJP first broke Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and toppled the Mahavikas Aghadi Government and formed a Government with the support of Eknath Shinde. After forming the Government, they did the same with the NCP, but the president of the NCP.”
“Sharad Pawar, is a competent and experienced leader in politics. Ajit Pawar’s group has not yet received official recognition. Looking at Sharad Pawar’s politics, he will show the BJP their place,”Londhe said.