30 MLAs attend Ajit’s meeting; 16 at Sharad’s; Jr Pawar throws age jibe at uncle
In the midst of a fierce confrontation between rival factions of the NCP, a bitter clash unfolded between NCP leader Sharad Pawar and breakaway group leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday.
While Ajit approached the Election Commission, asserting his claim over NCP’s name and symbol, Sharad asserted he would not allow his nephew to take them away.
Rubbing it in, Ajit highlighted his uncle’s advanced age, remarking on his “82 or 83” years. Backed by over 40 affidavits from supporting MLAs and MPs, Ajit escalated the ongoing battle within the party.
Informed sources said that the Ajit faction had submitted affidavits signed by 40 MLAs on June 30 itself to the Election Commission.
In response, the Sharad faction filed a caveat before the EC, urging that it be heard on their side first before passing any directive in connection with the factional fight.
The Election Commission has asked both the factions to exchange the respective documents submitted before it. The EC is expected to look into the matter in the coming days.
Between the unrelenting uncle and a belligerent nephew, Ajit appeared to have an edge over Sharad in terms of numbers, going by the larger number of NCP MLAs who turned out for the rally organised by Ajit at the MET Institute of Management at Bandra in north-west Mumbai
Though there was no conclusive proof of the numbers claimed by the two feuding factions, the Ajit faction claimed that it had the support of 40 out of total of 53 NCP MLAs.
However, some 30 NCP MLAs were present with Ajit on the stage. On the other side, as many 15-17 rival Sharad faction MLAs, three MLCs, and five MPs turned out for Sharad’s parallel meeting
held at the YB Chavan Auditorium at Nariman Point in Mumbai.
In the guise of seeking blessings from his uncle, Ajit had a dig at Sharad when he said, “I don’t understand even now why I’m made a villain in front of people. What’s wrong with me? What wrong have I done? ... Sharad is my idol. But you tell me, isn’t it true that if a person joins the Maharashtra government, he retires at the age of 58? If they are IAS, IPS, etc., they retire at the age of 60”
“If you are in politics, you retire at the age of 75 in the BJP. Murli Manohar Joshi and LK Advani are such examples.. Now, if you’re 82 or 83, are you ever going to stop or retire? In terms of age, we want you to be a centenarian,” Ajit said.
“A new generation is coming forward in later years. You can happily bless them.... If I am wrong, tell me, Ajit, you’re wrong. I will admit my mistake and fix it and move on. For whom else are we all working? Is it our fault that we weren’t born to someone special?,” the rebel NCP leader asked.
Having not kindly to the Ajit faction having moved the Election Commission, Sharad said, “I am not bothered that some people have made all kinds of comments about me. But, those people whom I got elected as MLAs, have betrayed me. Whatever may be the case, I will let not these people take away our party and its symbol from us. They (the rebels) may be using my photographs, but they will not gain currency in terms of popularity”.
However, Sharad was relatively not that aggressive when it came to taking on his nephew. Sharad said, “On one hand, these people (rebels) calls me a God, while on the other they ignore me.. They call me a Guru but make allegations against me,” an upset Sharad said.
State NCP president Jayant Patil, a close aide of Sharad, claimed that the party cadres were still with the veteran Maratha leader.
“A small trailer of Sharad’s popularity was witnessed a few days earlier in Kolhapur and Pune… These people (rebels) are forgetting that the ordinary workers of the NCP are still with saheb. Whatever Sharad says is the final word for us,” said Patil.
Invoking the popular slogan -- ‘Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna ab hamare dil me hain, Dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-qatil me hain’, Patil asked the enthusiastic gathering to take an oath.
The party workers gathered at the YB Chavan Centre took an oath in the name of god and under the leadership and presidentship of Sharad that all of them would work the NCP till their last breath, they would not support the deserters, would not do anything that will sully Pawars ideology and remain loyal to him and the party for their entire life.