In a surprising turn of events, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra at a time when party supremo Sharad Pawar is making efforts to form an opposition front against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Ajit took oath as the deputy chief minister while eight other NCP leaders, some of whom are close aides of Sharad Pawar, took oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde government.
Maintaining that there was no split in the NCP, Ajit said the entire party has supported his decision and that he would contest all future elections on the NCP symbol. "All the elected representatives (of the party) have supported the decision to join the government,” he said.
Defending the move, Ajit said: "If we can go with the Shiv Sena, then we can go with the BJP as well. The same thing happened in Nagaland as well."
Ajit also heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the country is on the path of progress under his leadership.
“Everyone supports him (Modi) and appreciates his leadership. We will fight the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections with them (BJP) and that is why we have taken this decision," he said.
Sources close to Ajit claimed he has the support of more than 40 MLAs and more than six MLCs. A letter of support of these legislators was given to Raj Bhavan, they added. NCP has 53 MLAs and nine MLCs.
Senior NCP leader Jayant Patil, however, countered the claims and said the party is not supporting the BJP in any form. “Those who didn't follow our orders and became ministers, we don't have anything to do with them," he said.
Patil said Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of party leaders on July 5 in Mumbai to discuss the developments and the future course of action.
"NCP as a party doesn't support the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. Many of the MLAs who have signed the letter of support to the government, called me saying that they were confused and will always back Sharad Pawar," he said.
Patil further said that some leaders in the party would often demand that the party go with the BJP, but the party's top leadership never approved of it.
The newly-appointed Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Jitendra Awhad of the NCP also said the number of party MLAs with Ajit will be clear once Sharad Pawar starts "calling up" legislators.
The dramatic turn of events, however, has come as a shocker to Sharad Pawar who, while trying to put up a brave face, said: "This is not a googly but robbery”.
Long considered a wily politician who never failed to pull a rabbit out of the hat, Sharad Pawar, however, was outsmarted by the political play crafted by the BJP with the help of Ajit. His strategy and views will become clearer on Monday when he is scheduled to speak in public.
The NCP veteran also said he was not upset with anyone for party MLAs joining the Maharashtra government, but with Praful Patel, who has been his close aide for decades, for "abandoning" the guidelines of the party president and taking a wrong path. Patel was was present at the Raj Bhavan and seated next to Ajit at the latter's news conference.