Double engine, double split: After Sena, it’s NCP

NCP leader Ajit Pawar addressed a press conference after he was sworn in as the Maharashtra Deputy CM. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

In exactly two years, two major constituents of the MVA have seen a split – about a year ago, 40 Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled under the leadership of Shinde and joined hands with the BJP, leading to the ouster of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. Now, Ajit Pawar has allied with the BJP, and sources in both camps of the NCP admit neither side has support of more than half the total party MLAs as on date.

In the 288-strong state Assembly, BJP has 106 MLAs, Shiv Sena (Shinde) 40, NCP 53, Congress 44, Shiv Sena (UBT) 16, and the balance 29 is with small parties and independents. Sources in BJP and Ajit Pawar camp claimed support of 36 MLAs as of now, which is more than two-third NCP’s total strength of 53. However, sources in the Sharad Pawar camp said Ajit Pawar does not have the support of more than half the total MLAs.

This is not the first attempt by Ajit Pawar. In 2019, after the results of Assembly polls, while the NCP, Shiv Sena and the Congress discussed an alliance, he had surprised all by breaking out to take oath as Deputy CM with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis being sworn in as Chief Minister. The rebellion lasted for three days then with Sharad Pawar managing to bring back the MLAs into the party fold. Four years later, Ajit seems better prepared, now flanked by senior party leaders.

Ajit Pawar takes oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. (Screenshot)

In what was seen as a show of strength and a pressure tactic to claim the NCP’s President-ship, Ajit Pawar called a meeting of party MLAs – originally scheduled on July 6 – at his official residence Devgiri early Sunday morning. This was also an indication that the party was facing internal rebellion.

Senior party leader and Lok Sabha MP from Baramati Supriya Sule was also present at the meeting. She left the venue in between, only to later return. Within a few hours, it was clear he had decided to align with the BJP and Shinde’s Sena. Along with 16-17 NCP MLAs, Pawar reached Raj Bhavan to join the government. Sule was not part of the MLAs in Raj Bhavan.

This is the second Cabinet expansion since the BJP-Sena (Shinde) government took charge on June 30, 2022.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar was in Pune and chose to watch over the happenings from a distance. At a press conference in Pune, he said action would be taken against parties Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel for failing to fulfil their duties. Pawar clarified there was no question of allowing Ajit Pawar to go ahead with the action he had taken in the afternoon.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

Of the nine NCP MLAs in the state Cabinet now, at least three including Bhujbal, Mushrif and Ajit Pawar himself, have been criticised by the BJP for their alleged acts of corruption. Mushrif was recently probed by the Enforcement Directorate on complaints raised by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. Bhujbal has spent over two years in jail in a case related to irregularities in Maharashtra Sadan construction. Ajit Pawar has been under scanner over his involvement in the multi-thousand crore irrigation scam and financial irregularities related to Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank.

Ajit Pawar, who had been sulking over his “sidelining” by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, was rumoured to be in touch with the BJP ever since the collapse of the MVA government. Though he was made the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, his weak attacks on the government and at times even a strong defense of the government was always viewed with suspicion. He, however, kept denying any such move. His demand to be made the party’s Maharashtra unit chief was seen as an attempt to find an excuse to rebel against Sharad Pawar.

Ironically, Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde had blamed Ajit Pawar, who was Finance minister in the previous MVA government, for denying them funds, and this was cited as one of the reasons to bring down the government.

Flanked by NCP’s national working president Praful Patel and senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, Pawar claimed it was the party’s decision to join the government. When asked if Sharad Pawar had been consulted, Ajit said senior leaders were informed. He, however, did not specify the number of MLAs with him. “All MLAs are with us… all leaders are with us. The NCP is part of the government,” he said at a press conference after the swearing in ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

To a question on allying with the BJP, he said, “If we can go with Shiv Sena in MVA, we can join BJP as well. We have done it in Nagaland as well.” “We were discussing (this) for many days. We decided to prioritise development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been strongly working for the country for the last nine years and is taking the country forward on the path of development. We believed that we should also support that effort,” Ajit Pawar said.