Ajit Pawar: We wish to contest on 60 seats, no compromise on secular ideology

Recently, the NCP chief skipped a visit to a memorial.

Ajit: We wish to contest on 60 seats, no compromise on secular ideology dedicated to RSS ideologue K B Hedgewar in Nagpur, after a government event held next to it. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had headed to the memorial after the event.

On the seat-sharing talks, Ajit says they are going smoothly. “We all believe that seat-sharing should be based on merit. CM Shinde, Deputy CM Fadnavis and I will sit together and discuss each constituency, and the party that has a strong hold on a particular constituency will get it… We won 56 seats in the 2019 Assembly polls and have around six-seven Independent MLAs with us. So we wish to contest these 60 seats. But we will definitely seek more, and it will be decided on electoral merit.”

But he rules out the Mahayuti fighting the elections with a CM face. “Firstly, the primary aim of the three parties (Sena, BJP and NCP) is to achieve the majority mark. Then we can think about the CM face… Many things are to be considered first,” Ajit says, adding that what was certain was that “the CM will be of Mahayuti”.

Describing his equations with the BJP central leadership as “good”, Ajit says that from their end, “we are doing everything possible for all communities”. “The welfare schemes are for all… Now, let’s see,” he says, when asked if the minorities would continue to support the NCP.

Pointing out that the NCP under Sharad Pawar ran a government with the united Shiv Sena, as well as reached out to the BJP, Ajit adds: “When we started the discussion on the alliance (with the BJP), we clearly stated that our ideology was ‘secular’ and we would not compromise on it, at all… Why were such questions not asked then (earlier)? Where was this secular ideology and progressive thought?”

Unequivocal on his party’s support for Maratha quota, Ajit says: “We all have the same stance – that Marathas should be given reservation.”

Banking big on recent welfare schemes announced by the Mahayuti government, Ajit has been talking about these, especially the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, during his yatra. “The response of women is overwhelming,” he says.