Express Exclusive | ‘We joined Mahayuti for development agenda, with clear stand of no compromise on secular ideology’: Ajit Pawar

The NCP faction led by you won only one seat in the Lok Sabha polls. What went wrong?

A fake narrative was spread by the Opposition… ‘Ab ki baar, 400 paar (This time, more than 400 seats)’ slogan did not go down well as the people thought that after winning 400 seats, the NDA government would change the Constitution, bring in Uniform Civil Code, implement the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), abolish reservation… Also, because of the ‘400 paar’ campaign, our party workers got relaxed, thinking it (the election) was a cakewalk.

Still, if you see, while we lost seats, there was a difference of just 0.5% in votes (between the NDA and INDIA parties).

You said recently that you may not contest the Assembly elections from the Baramati seat, as you have fought from there six-seven times now.

I didn’t say that. A question was asked about demands being made by party workers that Jay (Ajit’s younger son) contest Assembly polls from Baramati. To which I replied that it is a democracy, such demands can be made and that I have already been MLA seven-eight times from there. So the speculation started from there… The party will decide who contests from where… No decision has been taken yet.

You have started a ‘Jan Samman Yatra’. What is its objective?

The objective is to express gratitude towards the people of the state… We have five initiatives, which include the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the free electricity schemes, subsidy on gas cylinders, apprenticeship scheme, and 100% reimbursement of tuition and examination fees for women, OBCs and Economically Weaker Sections. So, while expressing gratitude via the Jan Samman Yatra, we are making people aware of the government’s initiatives… The response of women is overwhelming.

You call it Ladki Bahin Yojana, but your alliance partner calls it Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana. Is it a question of who takes the credit (as Finance Minister, Ajit Pawar announced the scheme in the budget)?

Not at all. We generally shorten names of things if they are long. It is done for easy recall and nothing else.

Your statement that you made a mistake fielding your wife Sunetra against your cousin Supriya Sule from Baramati for the Lok Sabha polls raised many eyebrows.

I speak from my heart. Take when I apologised to the state over the unfortunate collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Malvan. We will conduct a proper investigation, take suitable action against the accused. But Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our idol and I felt I should apologise… In a similar manner, I felt one day that I shouldn’t have fielded her (Sunetra) from Baramati. It is not that someone instructed me to do so.

You also said that you would not speak against Sharad Pawar any more.

It is not only about Saheb (Sharad Pawar). I have decided not to speak against anyone… I will do my work and speak about that.

How is your equation with Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule?

They are busy with their work, I am busy with my work.

How is seat-sharing among Mahayuti partners progressing?

We all believe that seat-sharing should be based on merit. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and I will sit together and discuss each constituency, and the party that has a strong hold on a particular constituency will get it… We won 56 seats in the 2019 Assembly polls and have around six-seven Independent MLAs with us. So we wish to contest these 60 seats. But we will definitely seek more, and it will be decided on electoral merit.

What is the NCP’s stand on the contentious issue of Maratha reservation?

We all have the same stance – that Marathas should be given reservation.

How is your equation with the BJP central leadership?

It is good. We (the central leadership of the BJP and NCP) discuss and take decisions.

The NCP is seen as a party that gets votes from the minorities as well as Dalits. Now you are allied with parties that are seen as right-wing, Hindutva-leaning. Do you fear a fallout in the Assembly polls?

Yes… I mean, how would we know unless actual voting takes place? From our end we are doing everything possible for all communities. The welfare schemes are for all… We also increased the capital investment by Rs 1,000 crore and guarantee by Rs 500 crore for the Maulana Azad (Minorities Financial Development) Corporation. Now, let’s see.

How is your equation with the BJP and Shiv Sena given the difference in ideologies?

When we started the discussion on the alliance, we clearly stated that our ideology was ‘secular’ and we would not compromise on it, at all. But when you ask such questions to me, I want to ask one thing. The hardcore Hindutvawadi party was the Shiv Sena… But you (the Congress and united NCP) were in government with the Shiv Sena for two-and-a-half years (the 2019-June 2022 Maha Vikas Aghadi government)… I was also a part of it. So why were such questions not asked then? Where was this secular ideology and progressive thought?…

Now you have a problem when we have joined the (Mahayuti) government with an agenda of development, with a clear stand that we will not compromise on our secular ideology. All NCP MLAs supported this alliance (with the Sena and BJP)… Sharad Pawar also openly gave outside support to the BJP in 2014 to form the government in the state… The Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government was formed only because of that outside support.

Even in 2017, talks were initiated by the NCP with the BJP to join the NDA. Talks on portfolios and ministries were complete. Similarly in 2019, a pre-poll alliance of the NCP and BJP was discussed and seat-sharing talks had also taken place. Everyone forgets all this conveniently…

Will the Mahayuti have a CM face?

No. Firstly, the primary aim of the three parties (Sena, BJP and NCP) is to achieve the majority mark. Then we can think about the CM face. But the CM will surely be of the Mahayuti.

So the CM will be from the party that wins the most seats in the polls?

No. What I mean is, how can we decide about such things so early? Such things are not decided in advance. Many things are to be considered first.