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Journalism of Courage
Three meetings in as many days between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and rebel MLAs of the party led by his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar have raised questions about the intention behind these frequent interactions between two sides that had a public fallout earlier this month over Ajit and his group’s decision to join hands with the BJP and the Shiv Sena of Eknath Shinde.
One of the reasons for the meeting could be that Ajit and his group are apprehensive about the fallout of their move at the constituency level and believe Pawar still has the mass appeal to electorally hurt them. Following the split earlier this month, the veteran leader had suggested that he would go to people to rebuild the party.
Pawar’s allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) — have put down the frequent meetings to the Ajit group’s attempts to limit the damage they had inflicted on themselves. “Several media houses have conducted surveys that have shown common people are raising their voice against the NCP’s group that has joined hands with the BJP. This is the reason why that group is meeting Pawar saheb. People will not forgive them,” said Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve said, “The Ajit Pawar group is trying to gain sympathy by meeting Sharad Pawar. This is an internal matter of the NCP and it is better for us to not comment.”
On Saturday, Ajit Pawar visited his uncle’s home in Mumbai to meet his aunt Pratibha, who is recovering after surgery. The Deputy CM along with Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel and other NCP ministers then made an impromptu visit to the Y B Chavan Centre in Mumbai to meet the NCP founder. They dropped in again on Monday to meet the veteran leader. Patel who spoke on Ajit’s behalf on both occasions said the NCP leaders had sought Pawar’s blessings and requested him to keep the party united. Patel said Pawar did not say anything.
Addressing the city unit of the NCP later in the day, Pawar said there was no question of joining hands with a party against whom the NCP fought the elections. “Those who want to return can do so. But we will continue to fight,” Pawar is reported to have said at the meeting.
NCP leader Jayant Patil, the party’s state unit president before the rebellion and a member of the Pawar camp, has told reporters there is no question of Pawar deviating from his stand. “The people who are meeting him are those who have taken a different stand. There is no need to have confusion about our stand as we stand firm,” he said.
Patil maintained that holding a dialogue with everybody was essential to democracy and Pawar was doing just that. “It does not mean he has changed his stand,” he emphasised.
