Sharad Pawar’s ‘googly’ knocked his nephew: Fadnavis on NCP chief’s claim about 2019 talks with BJP

“Pawar bowled a googly. But his googly knocked his nephew Ajit Pawar,” he said, referring to the NCP’s chief use of cricket analogy to describe the short-lived arrangement under which Fadnavis became the chief minister and Ajit Pawar became the deputy CM in 2019. Their alliance lasted only 80 hours, as Sharad Pawar did not give final approval.

After Fadnavis told a TV channel two days ago that he and Pawar held a meeting to discuss a BJP-NCP alliance after the 2019 Assembly elections, the NCP chief confirmed that he had met the BJP leader. “It was a googly to stump Fadnavis. He should have known my association with cricket. My father-in-law Sada Shinde was a cricketer,” he said.

Sharad Pawar’s political shrewdness and perfect timing are not secrets to Maharashtra politics. He has often sprung surprises.

In 2014 the NCP’s decision to declare support for the BJP-led state government took everybody by surprise. The question asked was why Pawar, who swears by secularism, supported the BJP.

The 2014 polls saw the BJP winning with flying colours bagging 122 out of the total 288 seats. The campaign was led by Fadnavis, who was then president of the party’s state unit. The BJP and the Shiv Sena contested the elections separately. So did the Congress and the NCP. However, after the polls, the BJP and the Sena joined hands to form a coalition with Fadnavis as chief minister. The saffron government completed a full term in 2019.

The BJP did not require the NCP’s support in 2019. But the real objective behind Pawar’s gesture was to create differences between the BJP and the Sena. Secondly, it was a smart move to avoid a split within the NCP as a section within the party was keen to join the BJP.

BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “It is a fact that Sharad Pawar had agreed to form a government with the BJP. He met Fadnavis. They discussed everything in detail including power-sharing and guardian ministers for districts.”

But at the last minute, Pawar changed his mind. The early morning swearing-in was part of a commitment that Pawar had made.

Mungantiwar, who holds the environmental and forest portfolio, said, “In 2019 the BJP and the Shiv Sena (undivided) contested the polls as allies. The BJP gave its own candidates to Shiv Sena in some constituencies to ensure its victory. No party does as much as the BJP did for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in 2019.”

NCP supporters deface a banner showing party leaders Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare during a protest party leaders who joined the state cabinet.

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BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Friday, “Pawar has bowled his last googly. All we can say is they should wait. The match is not over. Hereafter, they will face Fadnavis’s googlies and bouncers.”

Politicians’ penchant for using cricket analogy is well known. To Pawar, who has led both the BCCI and the Mumbai Cricket Association, using cricket parlance to explain his action comes naturally.

Even within his own party, nobody can predict his next move. His ability to keep everybody guessing and surprise opponents is so well known that “Pawar’s googly” has become a catchphrase in state politics.

Fadnavis is equally fond of cricket. And many in the BJP say his politics can be equated to front-foot batting. He likes to take opponents head-on irrespective of risk.

A close aide of Fadnavis said, “Let the NCP hail Sharad Pawar’s googly. As far as the BJP is concerned, we will wait to see Fadnavis’s bouncer.”

And a BJP insider said, “When CM Eknath Shinde walked out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with 40 rebels and 10 independents, the home department was with the NCP. The Pawar-led party, which had been in power in the state for decades, was caught napping. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was equally clueless.”