NCP MLAs ready to back Ajit Pawar but don’t want repeat of Sena crisis, 2019 redux

“Knowing Sharad Pawar ji, it is clear that he won’t let Ajit Pawar control the party so easily as what happened in Shiv Sena’s case. Once the perception battle begins, there is a chance of Sharad Pawar gaining sympathy in the manner in which Uddhav Thackeray did. It will be difficult for us to manage workers in our constituencies in that case,” the MLA said.

According to sources within the NCP, over the course of the last week, the senior Pawar held meetings with MLAs as well as other office-bearers of the party to understand their opinions in case his nephew and the state’s Leader of Opposition Ajit chose to ally with the BJP.

Party sources said the loyalty of junior MLAs are with Ajit and they are ready to join him if he chose to switch. “But nobody wants a repeat of 2019 in which an ill-prepared rebellion was cut short by Sharad Pawar’s moves,” a senior party official said.

According to party insiders, Ajit Pawar has two options of which one is to take along 12-15 of his most loyal MLAs and face party action. “If the party throws him out, he will continue to be the legislator. And if he is going to take such a huge risk, the prize will be no less than the chief minister’s post,” said a leader.

The second option would be that two-thirds of the NCP MLAs join him and he takes control of the legislative party. “If this is to happen, Ajit would need the blessings of Sharad Pawar himself which is very unlikely at present,” said the source.