Ajit Pawar will be the leader of NCP for next 2-3 decades: Praful Patel

Patel went on to claim that irrespective of state assembly results of December 3 and of the past, the people of the country are going to re-elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third term. “Therefore the decision taken is in the interest of the state and the party,” he repeated.

Patel claimed that even in 2004, a discussion with the BJP was held to contest lok sabha poll with three parties — BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena — and each was to get 16 seats in Maharashtra. “The meeting happened at my house in Delhi and late Pramod Mahajan was present. But Mahajan did not want to share his position as state leader in Delhi with Sharad Pawar and he leaked the news to Balasaheb Thackeray and it didn’t happen,” Patel said.

He also claimed that it was Sharad Pawar who had given the green signal to Ajit Pawar in 2019 to take oath with Devendra Fadnavis. “Our meeting was with Congress and Shiv Sena at Nehru Centre to form the government. Since we did not reach a consensus, Sharad Pawar angrily left the room and told me and Ajit Pawar to do what we wanted. After this, Ajit met Devendra Fadnavis at Varsha,” he said.

The former Union minister said that this was just the beginning and that Ajit was going to be the leader for the next 30 years.

Patel reminded Pawar that he, too, had quit Congress and later returned to the party in 1986. “Why did you do that? Why did you compromise with Delhi then? What about 1978 when leaders of the Janata Party were also in your government. How did you accept that,” said Patel.

Earlier, while inaugurating the study workshop, Ajit group state president Sunil Tatkare said that Ajit Pawar has taken a responsibility to build a new Maharashtra. “A decision has been made trusting that each and everyone of you will stand with him and the party. The responsibility is to build Maharashtra and it will be a success under the leadership of Ajit Pawar,” he said.

Tatkare, too, claimed that talks of joining hands with the BJP was broached in 2017 and even the distribution of cabinet portfolios was finalised.