New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who recently broke away from the parent party, said Wednesday that he wants to become the chief minister of Maharashtra.
The 63-year-old joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine Sunday and was sworn in as the state’s deputy chief minister – a post he now shares with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis.
Eight other NCP MLAs took oath along with Pawar in a surprise cabinet expansion in the governing coalition, helmed by Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Shinde himself split last year from Uddhav Thackeray’s parent party and managed to retain the original name and the symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.
Shinde’s revolt toppled the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government – a coalition of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress – paving the way for the present government with the support of the BJP.
In a show of strength at a Bandra institute Wednesday, Ajit Pawar told supporters that he wanted the top post in order “to implement plans I have for the people’s welfare”.
I want to become Maharashtra chief minister to implement certain plans I have for people''s welfare: Dy CM Ajit Pawar
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 5, 2023
Making it clear that he has long nurtured his ambition for the top post, Pawar said that Maharashtra would have had an NCP chief minister since 2004 had they not handed over the post to the Congress despite getting more seats in that state election.
Pawar also took a dig at his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar for hanging on to power. “BJP leaders retire at 75… That allows the new generation to rise. You are 83. Are you not going to stop? Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life,” he said, adding that his uncle had portrayed him as a villain before everyone. “I still have deep respect for you,” he said.
#WATCH | Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar says, "You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar)…But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60…even in politics
– BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani… pic.twitter.com/T2XqCzEH89
— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2023
Ajit Pawar, who has been chafing at the leash to take over the party, was apparently miffed that his uncle made daughter Supriya Sule the party’s working president, giving him the post of the Leader of Opposition.
“Are we not capable of running a government? We are. In Maharashtra politics, doesn’t my name figure among those four to five key leaders? Even if it is at the end? Then why are we not given the blessings? Even at a farmer’s home, a son who reaches the age of 25 is told to look after the farm, while the elderly step back to the role of an adviser. This is the norm,” he said.
The two factions of the NCP — till the other day Maharashtra’s largest Opposition party — spent Wednesday trying to corner as many of their 53 MLAs in the state.
At the end of the day, it looked like the nephew had beat his uncle in that race.
Two parallel meetings were held by the uncle and nephew factions, and at least 32 MLAs attended Ajit Pawar’s gathering. Seventeen MLAs were at Pawar senior’s assembly at the Y.B. Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.
The NCP’s factional fight also reached the Election Commission Wednesday – in a re-run of the Shiv Sena’s mutiny last year – with Ajit Pawar staking claim on the party name and symbol.
Sources in the poll panel said they had received 40 odd affidavits of support from the nephew’s faction, and also a resolution electing him as the NCP president.
News agencies also quoted sources as saying that party founder Sharad Pawar’s group also filed a caveat with the poll body, urging it to hear them first before passing any directive.
This group informed the EC that it had initiated a disqualification process against the nine MLAs who joined the BJP-Sena government on Sunday.
Also read: At show of strength, Ajit Pawar draws more MLAs than uncle amid calls for him to ‘lead NCP’