Amid disquiet in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s recent meetings with his nephew Ajit Pawar, the NCP patriarch on Wednesday rubbished claims of being offered a Union Minister’s post by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in lieu of deserting the INDIA Opposition bloc and the MVA, and allying with the BJP.
“I have openly said no politics was discussed at that meeting [with Ajit Pawar] nor was there any such discussion [on the offer of a post in the central Cabinet]. I have no idea what anyone is saying about it. There was no political discussion. I have never denied the meeting never happened, but as the head of the family, I speak to all its members,” Mr. Pawar said, speaking to reporters in Sambhajinagar.
He further said that while there were rumours that his MVA allies, the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), were planning to contest elections without his NCP faction, the reality was completely different, refuting suggestions of the Congress-Sena (UBT) having a “plan B” to contest sans his NCP group.
The NCP chief met his nephew, Deputy CM and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar in Pune on August 13 at businessman Atul Chordia’s residence in what is the uncle-nephew duo’s fourth meeting since Mr. Ajit Pawar split the NCP in July 2.
While Mr. Ajit Pawar has denied the meeting was “clandestine”, Pawar senior has repeatedly clarified his NCP faction would never ally with the BJP despite his nephew aligning with the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena government in the State.
Despite Mr. Sharad Pawar’s clarifications, his repeated meetings with his nephew have upset the Congress.
Senior Congressman and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has said that during the August 13 meeting, Mr. Ajit Pawar had apparently conveyed to Pawar senior offers made by the BJP to accommodate him as well as his daughter and MP, Supriya Sule, in top posts at the Centre.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid a condition before Mr. Ajit Pawar that he would be made Chief Minister of the State only if his uncle came over to the side of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
“It is believed that PM Narendra Modi has made this condition to Ajit Pawar that he can be the CM only if Sharad Pawar comes over to the NDA. Else, his [Ajit Pawar’s] dreams of being the CM will only remain a dream. Hence, it is possible that Ajit Pawar is repeatedly meeting his uncle in a bid to win him over to his side,” Mr. Wadettiwar said.
The Congress leader further alleged that even after splitting two parties — the NCP and Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction — the BJP still felt the need to have a tall leader like Sharad Pawar with mass appeal on their side.
Dismissing the statements emanating from the Congress, Mr. Sharad Pawar said he did not pay attention to “remarks made by lesser men”.
Mr. Sharad Pawar further said that if the Ajit Pawar faction planned to use photos of him for rallies and hoardings, then he would take legal action against them.
The NCP chief indicated his faction could be in danger of losing the party symbol, and said he had sent his reply to the Election Commission of India over the issue.
“Looking at the decision that came up in regards to the tussle within the Shiv Sena (whose poll symbol was given to rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde), there could be a similar problem of losing our party symbol (the clock). But I do not care for symbols as I have contested elections on many different electoral symbols in the past and won,” Mr. Sharad Pawar said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sharad Pawar launched a blistering attack on Mr. Modi, stating that the troubles in the northeast did not concern him and that the PM only cared about winning elections.
The NCP chief, who had recently shared the stage with the PM for the Lokmanya Tilak award in Pune, predicted Mr. Modi would not return to power after the 2024 election.
“The current political scenario in the country is not favourable for Narendra Modi. I have no doubts that he will not return as PM in 2024,” Mr. Sharad Pawar said, remarking that the BJP regime had only increased bitterness between communities and heightened social divisiveness.
“I had hoped that the PM would speak about Manipur in August 15 speech, but it seems like taking a cue from [ex-Maharashtra CM] Devendra Fadnavis by saying he will come back in 2024. He does not care about the northeast but cares about how he will come back. The PM spoke about Manipur for three minutes outside Parliament and for just five minutes during his speech against no-confidence motion. Manipur is on fire, there are atrocities committed daily on women, but the Modi government merely remains a mute spectator,” he said.
Mr. Pawar further accused the BJP of toppling State governments in Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and seizing power.
