Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s likely visit to Pune city in March, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar praised the PM’s “development agenda” while remarking that the people gave opportunities to those who spoke about development.
Mr. Pawar’s telling remark, which he made while talking to reporters on Saturday, comes at a time when the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing central agencies, particularly following the arrest of NCP Minister Nawab Malik by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The PM is expected to visit Pune on March 6 for the inauguration of the city’s metro rail service, but there has been no official intimation of his programme as yet.
When questioned about the BJP leader Kirit Somaiya publishing a list of “tainted” MVA Ministers, which includes Mr. Pawar, and vowing to send them to jail, Mr. Pawar quipped: “What am I supposed to do? Voluntarily go to jail? I will not waste time commenting on all this. I am only concerned with the State’s development.”
The Deputy CM said the public was least interested in these controversies and cared for development rather than allegations and counter-allegations. “People give an opportunity to those who talk of development… Prime Minister Modi also won hearts through his development agenda when he came to power,” Mr. Pawar said.
Mr. Pawar, who is NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew, had startled Maharashtra with his intra-party “rebellion” soon after the October 2019 State Assembly election, when he staged a “morning coup” in November and was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as Chief Minister.
However, Mr. Ajit Pawar’s dalliance with the BJP lasted only for a brief period, after Mr. Sharad Pawar’s iron hand prevailed and the party failed to split.
While Mr. Ajit Pawar resigned as Deputy Chief Minister from the short-lived BJP-NCP government in less than 80 hours, he was nevertheless sworn-in again as the State’s Deputy Chief Minister after the MVA came into being soon after in order to stop the BJP securing power in the State.
The Deputy CM, meanwhile, said that he would be present during the PM’s anticipated visit in his capacity as Pune district’s Guardian Minister. However, Mr. Pawar expressed uncertainty over Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s presence at the time on account of the latter’s health.
Pune district leaders of the three MVA parties, however, have said that the NCP, Congress and Sena workers would protest against the PM if he visited the city on March 6 in view of Mr. Modi’s statement in Parliament blaming the Maharashtra government for the spread of COVID-19.
