Ajit Pawar, the Maharashtra deputy chief minister, reportedly urged his uncle Sharad Pawar to cede control of the party to him while asserting the backing of all NCP legislators. “You are 83, aren’t you going to stop?” Ajit Pawar asked. Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life.”
All 29 MLAs attended the ceremony where Pawar delivered the statement at the Mumbai Education Trust in support of him. Separately, 14 MLAs showed up to support the seasoned leader at a meeting convened by Sharad Pawar at the YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. To the MLAs, both groups had issued a whip.
The Nationalist Congress Party witnessed a split after Ajit Pawar, along with eight other MLAs, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party- Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra on July 2. Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister for the third time in less than four years.
Last week, Ajit Pawar said that he has served as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra five times, but added that he has aspirations to serve as the chief minister of the state. “I got a lot from you,” Ajit Pawar said. “...I became deputy chief minister five times. It is a record, but I am stuck at that post only. I also wish to lead the state.”
Ajit disclosed that the NCP had been in talks to form a government with BJP in 2014, 2017 and 2019, but things did not proceed. Yet, when he joined the BJP government, he was singled out as a villain, he said. Recently, Sharad Pawar had claimed that he held talks with BJP in 2019 only to expose its lust for power.
Ajit also wrote to the Election Commission staking claim to the NCP name and ‘alarm clock’ symbol on June 30, two days before he joined the Maharashtra government with eight party MLAs. Last week, the poll panel received affidavits of 43 NCP MLAs, MPs and MLCs, all dated June 30, declaring allegiance to the Ajit faction and an undated resolution unanimously electing him as the NCP chief.
Alliance won't end well: Pawar senior
Sharad Pawar avoided attacking his nephew personally while accusing the BJP of having double standards and the Ajit Pawar camp of being opportunistic. Despite a whip, only 15 of the 53 parliamentarians who favour the senior Pawar were present at the meeting; three more were rumoured to have expressed support but were not present.