MUMBAI: The Maharashtra NCP coup is complete and comprehensive. Sworn in Deputy Chief Minister just the other day, Ajit Pawar on Wednesday hit out at Sharad Pawar, saying his uncle wants to remain the party chief because he wants his daughter Supriya Sule to be the CM. He also said he was “insulted” several times in the past on the question of siding with either Shiv Sena or BJP. The new entrant to the Shinde-Fadnavis team opened up at the Bhujbal Knowledge City at Bandra West on Wednesday.
“I have been deputy CM. We could have got the chief minister’s post, but my uncle refused it,” he said.
“I am fed up with the DCM post. My son asks: ‘Papa how many times will you will be DCM?’” said Ajit.
He said Sharad Pawar, 83, should gracefully retire from active politics and hand over the command to his nephew. Out of 53 NCP MLAs, 31 MLAs attended the meeting called by Ajit Pawar at Bandra.
On the other hand, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said since the day he attended the Opposition meeting in Patna, he suspected that the BJP would split his family and the party. “I will again go to the people,” he said.
The Sr Pawar’s speech was a veritable counter to Ajit Pawar’s allegations. On why he did not tie up with BJP and formed the government with Shiv Sena, Pawar said Shiv Sena’s Hindutva “is inclusive and takes all castes and communities together. “It is not like BJP’s ‘myopic Hindutva’ dividing the people on the lines of caste and religion,” he said.
But Ajit Pawar was unrelenting. “We were in talks with the BJP in 2014, 2016 and 2019. I was sent to talk with BJP; we finalized the distributions of cabinet portfolios. But his uncle changed his mind at the last moment. Due to this, I was humiliated and seen as a villain,” said Ajit.
“If we can share power with Shiv Sena, then why not with the BJP?” asked Ajit. On his part, Sharad Pawar said the Ajit faction has criticized him but has retained Sr Pawar’s posters and banners.“They know they have no worth in the political market and will not fetch the votes. Therefore, they want to use my photograph. But people are shrewd enough to understand these things,” said senior Pawar.
