Mumbai: Sharad Pawar on Thursday rubbished Praful Patel’s claims that the NCP founder was “50 per cent” ready to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra when his nephew Ajit Pawar split the party and joined the ruling alliance. The NCP (Sharad Pawar) labelled the claims as a 'blatant lie.'
Mr. Patel on Wednesday had claimed that Sharad Pawar was “50 per cent” ready to go with the BJP when Ajit took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra in July 2023.
Responding to it, Sharad Pawar dismissed the claims saying he was still with his party and not gone anywhere else. “They are saying that I was ready to go with the BJP. But what is the real situation? Did I go anywhere? Absolutely no…,” Pawar said in Pune.
Mahesh Tapase, the NCP (SP) chief spokesperson said Mr. Patel’s claims were a blatant lie and a deliberate attempt to sow confusion amongst the electorate. “Sharad Pawar firmly rejected any idea of supporting BJP, both in principle and action. His stand was a testament to his unwavering commitment to his political ideologies,”Mr. Tapase said.
The claim of joining the government with only the development agenda was not genuine. The recent closure of cases was the true motive behind Ajit Pawar group’s alignment with BJP, he added.
Mr. Patel on Wednesday claimed that Sharad Pawar was to go with the BJP after Ajit took oath as the deputy chief minister. “On 2nd July 2023, when Ajit Pawar and our ministers took oath in Maharashtra. We met Sharad Pawar on July 15th-16th and requested him to join us. Later, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar met in Pune. He was also 50 per cent ready...Sharad Pawar always hesitates at the last minute,” Mr. Patel had said.
In 2023, Ajit Pawar along with eight other leaders joined the Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP, causing a vertical split in the party. Praful Patel, once considered a close aide of Sharad Pawar and a Rajya Sabha MP, also joined the Ajit faction.
