Amid LS poll high, alarm bells in Sharad Pawar’s NCP as Rohit Pawar, Jayant Patil rift out in open

Buoyed by the parliamentary poll results, the NCP(SP) led by party founder Sharad Pawar commemorated the party’s 25th foundation day at Ahmednagar on Monday amid jubilation and enthusiasm as it resolved to gear up for the next big challenge in the form of the Assembly elections. However, at this event, the fireworks traded between NCP(SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, grand nephew of Sharad Pawar, and state party chief Jayant Patil, albeit indirectly through their respective speeches, has alarmed the party leaders as well as workers.

Taking the stage first, Rohit obliquely took a swipe at Jayant, saying “In the coming time, anyone may claim that one is a kingmaker or a general (behind the party’s Lok Sabha poll victory). However, this is not because of a single person or one or two leaders but actually common workers that this victory was achieved. And thanks to the efforts made by Sharad Pawar at his age (83 years),” Rohit told the party gathering without naming anyone. He was hinting at some posters of Jayant that hailed him as the “general who led the party to victory” in the current polls.

“There are some leaders who keep riding two boats at the same time. They should be told that they have to take a position,” Rohit said.

He also voiced concerns about various organisational matters related to the state party unit, which Jayant has been heading since April 2018.

Rohit hit out against the bids of some state NCP(SP) office-bearers to welcome “party turncoats” in what was a reference to those who went with Ajit Pawar, who split the party in July last year and led his NCP faction to join the Mahayuti government and become Deputy Chief Minister.

“There will be people who want to return. They will claim how they helped us in the elections despite being on the other side. I want to say that before taking anyone in, think about those who stood by our party in the time of need. We have to think about strengthening our cadres and workers,” Rohit said.

When Jayant’s turn came to address the meeting, he stressed on the need to not make public statements. “I have a small request as the state party president. Many people have already counted my months on this post. Now, do not count the next four months…and prefer not to say anything publicly on Twitter etc. If you have a complaint against me, go directly to Sharad Pawar. Let Sharad Pawar take any action, as per his choice. But do not make public statements,” he said.

“I will say goodbye to the post after November (one month after the Assembly polls). If you have to say anything about the party, tell me privately. Not publicly. Let this be a teamwork as only teamwork gives results. This is not my victory alone,” said Patil.

Incidentally, it was the then undivided NCP’s foundation day event last year, when Ajit Pawar – then Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly – spoke about his desire to work in the party organisation and even flagged the years Jayant has spent as the state party chief. This was a few weeks before such discontent snowballed, leading to a vertical split in the party.

According to NCP (SP) sources, the tension between Rohit and Jayant has been simmering for over six months. The Rohit camp is eyeing the post of the party’s state youth wing president, which is being resisted by Jayant. A first-time MLA, Rohit has himself not been given any party position so far. Some of his supporters were also allegedly reprimanded by Jayant ‘s office for joining Rohit’s Yuva Sangharsh Yatra despite being warned against doing it.

While Jayant has not commented on Rohit’s statements after the poll results opposing the expected return of some legislators from the Ajit camp, his supporters have credited him with “micro-managing the party’s successful campaign for the Lok Sabha polls”. However, his detractors have pointed out that the MVA partner Sena (UBT)’s candidate lost to the Shinde Sena’s nominee in the Hatkanangle constituency, his home turf.

While Rohit has been going after the BJP and the Ajit NCP aggressively, Jayant being a seasoned politician has avoided it. “The young brigade (with

Rohit) fears that the return of a few MLAs from the Ajit side would lead to priority being given to them over those who stood by the party in the time of crisis,” sources said.

In 1969, then first-time Congress MLA Sharad Pawar had written a letter to Yashwantrao Chavan, his mentor and party stalwart, criticising the way the organisation was functioning without any checks on errant workers.

During his Monday speech, Rohit apologised to Sharad Pawar for being “too frank” in expressing his views openly, adding that Pawar’s letter to Chavan was his “inspiration”. “I apologise to Pawar saheb for speaking frankly. You wrote a letter to Yashavantaro Chavan in 1969 and spoke few things very clearly in it. I read that letter and hence I thought that I should speak frankly. I am sorry if anybody is hurt,” he said.