With his loyalist Ajit Pawar leaving him to join the Eknath Shinde government, Sharad Pawar exclusively told News18 that his only interest now is to reunite the party, which is now being led by two factions.
“My interest is to reunite the party, and make it strong – it is my responsibility,” Pawar told News18. Dwelling on the new vertical split in the party after Ajit and eight other MLAs took oath as ministers in the Shinde government, Pawar said it is not important “how many are with you, important is the organisation”.
Pawar had earlier in the day visited the memorial of his mentor and Maharashtra’s first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan in Satara’s Karad as a show of strength a day after Ajit’s switch to BJP-led Shiva Sena government. Pawar had said his fight is against “communal forces. Such rebellions happen”.
Pawar has also convened a meeting of the party on July 5 to discuss developments. He had said at press conference yesterday that rebellion in his party weren’t new to him.
When asked how was the “real NCP”, Pawar said, “I am heading the party. I am the president of the party.”
Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde Cabinet on Sunday as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, after he held a meeting with some NCP leaders in the morning. Ajit claimed that he has the support of 40 out of 53 NCP MLAs, but only 16 or 17 were in attendance during his swearing in at Raj Bhavan yesterday.
The split in NCP and the Maha Agadhi Vikas (MVA) alliance is a big blow to the Opposition Unity, whose one of the architects is Sharad Pawar. With 40 MLAs supporting Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar may not be left with a political clout, which may have an adverse effect on Opposition’s plan to counter the Modi government for the 2024 elections.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had claimed that Sharad Pawar had told him that he has the support of the people and will rebuild the party with the help of Uddhav Thackeray. “People will not tolerate this game for long,” Raut had tweeted.
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