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The Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) partner in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), has raised concerns over NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s statements on Ajit Pawar being a party leader. While Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC and Opposition leader in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said that Pawar’s remark was creating confusion in the minds of party workers and people, party MP Sanjay Raut said there was no doubt that the NCP had split.
In Baramati on Friday, Pawar said that some leaders have left the NCP by taking a “different political stand” but it cannot be termed as a split. “Ajit Pawar is our leader. There is no dispute about it,” he said. A day earlier, NCP MP Supriya Sule too had said that there was no split in the party.
“There is no doubt that such statements by Sharad Pawar are creating confusion in the minds of workers and people of the state. If he is saying that Ajit Pawar is their leader who is now in NCP, then of course there is confusion about his stand too,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC and Opposition leader in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said.
“Some people left our party and betrayed us, we call them traitors. The same thing happened in NCP, some people have left the party by indulging in anti-party activity so that is also betrayal. They (NCP) may not consider them as traitors but we consider those who left Sena as traitors only,” Danve added.
“There is a split in the NCP,” Raut said. “Ajit Pawar group has expelled Sharad Pawar from NCP and the Sharad Pawar group has expelled Ajit Pawar from NCP. There are two state presidents of NCP. If this is not the split in the party, then what is? People have no confusion in their mind… people have understood that there is a split in the NCP,” Raut added.
He, however, expressed the belief that Pawar will never go with the BJP and said that he is the leader of the MVA and the INDIA alliance.
Indirectly hinting at Sharad Pawar’s flip-flops on Ajit Pawar, Raut said that if anyone was trying to sail in two boats at a time, the people of Maharashtra would decide what to do with them.
Danve, however, insisted that he still felt that such statements would not create any friction or clashes in the MVA and the Opposition alliance was still intact.
“I personally feel that the issue (of split in NCP) has gone to the Election Commission and such statements are being made to safeguard the party’s name and poll symbol and the constitution,” Danve added.
Interestingly, in the case of Shiv Sena too, none of the factions had accepted that there was a split in the party. Even in the state Legislative Assembly, none of the factions have made a representation stating that they are separate groups.
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