Mumbai: Despite Sharad Pawar's claims that he did not play any role in Ajit Pawar's rebellion in the Nationalist Congress Party, the speculations are rife about the NCP leader's clandestine blessings to his nephew. Even his alliance partners, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, are not entirely convinced about the NCP chief.
Mr. Pawar has a reputation for making unthinkable political moves. His alliance partners in Maharashtra have not ruled out the possibility of Ajit's coup being one of those.
A leader from Shiv Sena (UBT), who did not want to be named, said, “Mr. Pawar has said that some leaders of his party have taken the decision to join hands with the BJP without even consulting him. We have to believe him. But the actions of the likes of Praful Patel and Dilip Walse-Patil are still inexplicable.”
Both Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have called separate meetings of their legislators on Tuesday. The latest developments in the NCP will be discussed in both meetings.
“The overwhelming support for Ajit Pawar in the NCP is surprising despite the fact that he does not have the backing of his uncle,” a Congress leader said.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has openly alleged that Mr. Pawar is the mastermind behind Ajit Pawar's decision. “It is just not possible that leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse-Patil will do anything unless they have Sharad Pawar's blessings. I will not be surprised if Supriya Sule becomes the minister in the Narendra Modi government,” he said.
Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar said that Sharad Pawar himself planned and executed Ajit Pawar' coup. "Forget about Ajit Pawar. How come Chhagan Bhujbal and Praful Patel join us? Mr. Pawar might have told them to take oath while he was sitting in Pune. This is just not possible without Mr Pawar's support," Mr. Kirtikar said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Pawar claimed that some of his party members have become victims of the BJP's strategies to fracture and destabilize other political parties.
The day after Ajit Pawar's rebellion, Sharad Pawar started his state tour to “rebuild” the Nationalist Congress Party. He visited the memorial of his mentor Yashwantrao Chavan in Karad on the occasion of Guru Purnima. After paying floral tributes to Chavan's memorial, the NCP chief addressed a rally in which he urged his party workers to remain united and steadfast in their fight against communalism.
Mr. Pawar's Karad visit was also a show of strength. On his way from Pune to Karad, he stopped along the way to meet supporters who lined up on the roadsides to greet him.
Addressing a rally at Karad, the NCP chief said, “My fight is against communal forces, I will rebuild the party.”
When asked whether Ajit Pawar's rebellion on Sunday had his blessings, the NCP chief said, “It is a mean thing to say. Only those with a mean and low intellect can say this. I have set out on a tour of the state and galvanize the cadre. They should not feel disillusioned with what some leaders have done.”
However, the NCP chief also distanced himself from the legal actions initiated by the party against Ajit Pawar and others. “I don’t know what exactly Jayant Patil has done because I left the house in the morning. But Mr. Patil is known for working as per rules and regulations. I will not take any decision on whether disqualification needs to be done or not. The decision will be taken by Jayant Patil and his other colleagues. That is his prerogative.”
