Deciphering Pawar play: NCP chief hits reverse gear after saying ‘Ajit our leader’

Hours later, Pawar made a U-turn in Satara district’s Dahiwadi town while on his way to Kolhapur to address the third public rally of his outreach tour that he began with the objective of rebuilding the party after Ajit’s rebellion. “I have not said that Ajit Pawar is our leader. When did I say it? Did I? If Supriya has said it, it is maybe because she is his younger sister and nobody should try being politics into it.”

Asked if Ajit Pawar would be given another opportunity in the party, the NCP president said, “If you remember, there was an early morning swearing-in ceremony of two persons and one was our colleague. He later admitted that whatever happened was not right and would not be repeated. The party decided to give an opportunity after the leader cleared his stand. But, the person should not frequently seek opportunity and the person should not be given the opportunity frequently even if it is sought. This is our stand.”

On Thursday, Sule had said in Pune, “The party has not split at all. Some decided to go with the BJP. We have complained to the Assembly Speaker to take action against them. There is no split in the NCP. The NCP chief is Sharad Pawar and the state unit chief is Jayant Patil. This is the reality and status of the party. The NCP does not have any kind of alliance with the BJP.”

Pawar’s initial comment and subsequent about-turn left his alliance partners Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) divided, with some expressing concern and others backing the NCP chief. State BJP chief Chandrakant Bawankule, meanwhile, claimed it was the beginning of the journey of the former Union Minister and his daughter to the National Democratic Alliance.

Responding to Pawar’s comments, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT) said, “There is no doubt that such statements by Sharad Pawar are creating confusion in the minds of workers and people of the state. 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.”

He added, “I feel that the issue (of split in the 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.”

His party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, however, said Pawar would never side with the BJP and that he was a leader of the MVA and the INDIA alliance. “There is a split in the NCP. Ajit Pawar group has expelled Sharad Pawar from the 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 minds … people have understood that there is a split in the NCP.”

But state Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said this was the beginning of Ajit’s return to his uncle’s camp, like in 2019. “Sharad Pawar is a senior and experienced leader. After meeting Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar seems to have felt the need to return to his original party and Sharad Pawar seems to have succeeded in convincing Ajit to return,” said Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.

He added, “Neither the Congress nor the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray have any doubt about Sharad Pawar. We both stand behind Sharad Pawar with all our strength. We do not want to comment on the internal matters of the NCP, but Congress has clarified its position to support all who are fighting against the BJP.”

Since the rebellion

Pawar has kept the political situation in Maharashtra simmering since July 2, when Ajit and eight other NCP leaders joined hands with the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena. At a press conference after Ajit and his men took oath as ministers, Pawar announced he would embark on a state tour to rebuild the party. Asked who the face of the party was, he smilingly raised his hand and said, “Sharad Pawar.”

The Pawar group immediately moved a suspension notice against Ajit and the others in the Assembly, triggering a buzz that he was intent on fighting his nephew.

Days later, he held his first rally in Nasik district’s Yeola that is the Assembly constituency of Chhagan Bhujbal, one of those who sided with Ajit. There, Pawar apologised to voters for making Bhujbal the MLA. His tour had to be cut short because of heavy rainfall and resumed in August.

Despite the speculation that the Pawars would battle it out politically, the uncle and the nephew met twice. Replying to the Election Commission’s notice after Ajit’s group claimed the NCP symbol, Pawar’s side said there was no split in the party.

In August first week, Pawar was on the dais at a function where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was felicitated with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. CM Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit were also present. Despite pleas from some in his party and his allies, Pawar chose not to skip the event and said he had helped the organisers get in touch with Modi for the function. This led Pawar’s MVA allies to criticise him.

Two weeks ago, Pawar and Ajit met in the house of realtor and family friend Atul Choradiya. It ruffled the feathers of Pawar’s MVA allies who asked the NCP chief to clear the air. The NCP president clarified that the meeting was no secret. “Ajit is my nephew. I am the eldest person in the Pawar family. Meeting a younger person in the family or calling him to meet is nothing wrong,” he said days later at a press conference in Solapur’s Sangola.

Pawar also made it clear that the NCP would not join hands with the BJP. “I want to clearly state in my capacity as the national president of the NCP that there is no question of NCP allying with the BJP,” he said.

NCP chief takes on BJP

Meanwhile, in Kolhapur on Friday evening, the NCP president took on the BJP and the Modi government, “We have to keep in mind who misused power, who increased in problems of farmers, unemployment increased because of whom. If this has to change, then power has to be snatched from the BJP and Narendra Modi and given to the youth of the country. Those ruling who cannot protect the women of this country have no right to be in power.”

Pawar accused the BJP of using central agencies to stifle dissent. “ED notices are being used to scare leaders. Few people faced them while a few changed their political stand. Kolhapur has a history of warriors. I thought if anyone here gets an ED notice, then they will face it, but something else happened. Someone here got an ED notice and I thought those who worked with us would have some self-respect and would face it. The women of the leader’s family took on those raiding their house but the head of the family did not do so. Instead, the leader decided to sit with the BJP and do whatever they ask to save himself,” Pawar said in an indirect reference to state minister Hasan Mushriff who is in the Ajit Pawar camp.

— With inputs from Vallabh Ozarkar