'Secret meetings' of Pawars, 'deal' rumours sparking mistrust among I.N.D.I.A allies?
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that secretive interactions between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and his nephew and state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were generating confusion among the public. The Congress leader stated that the developments are a matter of concern for his party.
FollowSigns of a rift between allies Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party are now increasingly becoming more visible with the former disapproving of the "secret meetings" between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has already stated that it is a matter of concern for his party.
Adding fuel to the speculation of a rift between the allies, Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed that a central cabinet berth had been offered to Sharad Pawar or his daughter Supriya Sule. However, Supriya denied that she had been approached with an offer of a portfolio and that the Congress leaders should introspect on why they were making such statements.
Previously, Vijay Wadettiwar, a prominent Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly raised questions about the recent meetings between Sharad Pawar and his nephew, Ajit Pawar, who leads the rival faction within the party.
Ajit Pawar, along with eight loyalist MLAs, orchestrated a schism within the NCP earlier this year. This opposing faction aligned with the ruling NDA government in the state, and Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
Wadettiwar asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had put forth a condition for Ajit Pawar to ascend to the position of Maharashtra's Chief Minister. The stipulation was that Ajit Pawar must persuade his uncle to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the central level.
"Why is there frequent interaction between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar? The BJP's influence in the state has grown, even following their orchestration of divisions within two parties (NCP and Shiv Sena). Consequently, they are turning to Sharad Pawar, recognizing his stature as a mass leader. The BJP is likely to struggle to secure more Lok Sabha seats from the state next year without his support," he remarked.
"Another motive behind these meetings is that Narendra Modi has communicated to Ajit Pawar that he cannot assume the role of chief minister unless he successfully convinces Sharad Pawar to come aboard (join NDA)," added Wadettiwar.
Earlier, Nana Patole said that such secretive interactions were generating confusion among the public."These undisclosed meetings are generating perplexity among the populace. Given their family relationship, why would they need to meet in secrecy," he questioned.
Sharad Pawar, however, dismissed the speculations surrounding his potential shift to the NDA. "What's amiss about me meeting my nephew? How can it be considered secretive when it took place at someone's residence? I was at his (Ajit Pawar's) residence," Sharad Pawar explained.
Patole went on to state that the Congress party was closely monitoring developments in Maharashtra's political landscape and intended to address the matter during the forthcoming meeting of the Indian National Developmental Democratic Alliance (INDIA) in Mumbai.
Leaders of the Opposition parties, united under the umbrella of INDIA, are slated to convene their third gathering in Mumbai spanning two days -- August 31 and September 1 -- as outlined by Congress sources earlier.
