Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar unequivocally shredded speculation of he leading a rebellion of party MLAs and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and squarely blamed the media for fanning the controversy.
Speaking to reporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislative Assembly) Tuesday, the NCP leader said there is an attempt to create misunderstandings about him and his associates unnecessarily, and that he has always been with the NCP and will continue to work for the party.
“The news items that you are constantly spreading about me, I would like to tell you that there’s not even a shred of truth in them. You are showing I’ve taken signatures of 40 MLAs. There’s no need for me to take such signatures. We are all with the NCP and will stay with the NCP,” Ajit Pawar said, referring to news items that 40 MLAs had signed their consent to follow the former deputy chief minister into the BJP.
He further asked reporters if he should prove his commitment to the NCP by signing an affidavit or stamp paper for people to believe him.
Over the last two weeks, there has been increasing speculation about Ajit Pawar possibly supporting the BJP to anchor the Maharashtra government in case the Supreme Court disqualifies MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Hours before Ajit Pawar spoke to reporters, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat addressed the media saying the Sena will pull out of the government if the BJP embraces an Ajit Pawar-led faction.
To further reiterate his commitment to the Opposition, Ajit Pawar, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, he said that he has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticising the state government for the death of 13 persons due to dehydration and heatstroke at the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony Sunday. In the letter, he also asked for an offence of culpable homicide to be registered against the state government.
The Baramati MLA also indirectly slammed Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), for fuelling talks of his defection in Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamana, Sunday.
NCP is in alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Also Read: As Rahul’s Savarkar jibe sparks rift in MVA, BJP & Shinde’s Shiv Sena move to take advantage
Deliberate attempts to spread misinformation
Ajit Pawar said that he routinely sits at his office at Vidhan Bhavan and MLAs come to meet him for their work.
He slammed the media for naming lists of MLAs who have come to meet him and allegedly misinterpreting these meetings as a conspiracy to rebel against the NCP.
“This unnecessarily leaves the NCP’s common karyakartas, the backbone of the party, in a state of confusion. I want to assure all of them not to worry,” the Baramati MLA said.
“The NCP has been founded under Sharad Pawar saheb’s leadership. There have been many ups and downs. Sometimes, the party had power, sometimes, it didn’t. But, the news items that are being spread to divert Maharashtra’s attention from important issues in the state such as unemployment, inflation, unseasonal rain…,” he added.
Pawar said the speculation around him not having delivered a speech at MVA rally in Nagpur Sunday was also unwarranted.
“Instead of talking about people who delivered speeches, there were headlines about why Ajit Pawar did not speak. Why do you have so much love for me?” Pawar asked sarcastically.
“If anything is going to happen I will tell you. You won’t need to rely on any astrologers or ask anyone else,” he added.
Veiled taunt at Sanjay Raut
Ajit Pawar also indirectly taunted Shiv Sena (UBT) for catalysing news reports about him possibly leaving the NCP for the BJP.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut had given heft to the rumours of BJP trying to break the NCP in his column his column ‘Rokhthok’ in party mouthpiece, Saamna.
Raut, known to be a close confidante of Sharad Pawar, in his column said the NCP supremo last week told Thackeray and Raut that nobody wants to go to the BJP of their own free will, but “the family (Pawar family) is being targeted.” Raut also made a reference to how many MLAs from the NCP — from Ajit Pawar to Hasan Mushrif — are facing Directorate of Enforcement (ED) probes.
According to Raut, Pawar further said, “If anyone wants to take their own personal decision, then it is their prerogative, but as a party the NCP will not go with the BJP.”
Indirectly slamming Raut, Tuesday, Ajit Pawar told reporters, “Some spokespersons of other parties are behaving like they are spokespersons of the NCP. Wonder who has given them the right? When we have a party meeting I’m going to ask them. Talk about the party you are from.”
“Talk about the party whose publication it is… we are capable of putting forth our stand clearly,” he added, referring to Saamana.
Ajit Pawar said, many also questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray about the controversy regarding the Baramati MLA switching to the BJP. “While responding, he reportedly said he will have to fight alone, but I had also told him that there’s no truth in the speculations,” Pawar said.
(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)
Also Read: Pawar says opposition unity important, NCP won’t oppose JPC probe into Adani if allies insist