Rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who jumped ships to join the Shinde-led government in Maharashtra in July, claimed on Friday that he consulted with his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar about his plan to join the Maharashtra government and he was in favour of the decision.
Addressing supporters in Karjat at the two-day event of the NCP faction, Ajit Pawar said that Sharad Pawar called him and asked him to join the government soon after he resigned as the party chief.
“During a family discussion, Sharad Pawar told me to join the government and said he would resign from the post of the party president. Nobody other than the four of the family members knew about the resignation, HT quoted Ajit Pawar as saying.
Ajit Pawar said that the Sharad Pawar-led faction had been reaching out for a patch-up. Such a meeting was organised on August 12 at businessman Atul Chordia’s Pune home, he added.
“If you didn’t like our decision (of joining the Shinde-led state government), then why did you call us for a meeting,” Ajit Pawar asked.
The NCP leader also termed Sharad Pawar’s resignation decision a “nautanki” or farce adding that some leaders were asked to organise protests demanding that he rescind the decision.
“Jitendra Awhad and Anand Paranjpe (NCP leaders) were called (by Sharad Pawar) and told to organise demonstrations asking for his resignation to be taken back. Paranjpe later came to me and I asked him why you are doing this nautanki. My view was that this was not needed. I hadn’t asked for his (Sharad Pawar) resignation,” Ajit Pawar said.
On May 2 this year, NCP Founder Sharad Pawar announced his resignation at an event in Mumbai triggering protests from party leaders and workers. Later, he rescinded the decision, stating that he respected the strong sentiments his decision had evoked among the party cadre and leaders across the country.
Ajit Pawar on Anil Deshmukh’s ‘Supari’ Remark
On former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh’s claim that he has been given ‘supari’ (contract) by the BJP to end the political career of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar said Deshmukh remained with the group led by Sharad Pawar as he would have been sans a ministerial berth had he switched sides.
Ajit Pawar also said it was an appropriate time for holding a detailed discussion on the Uniform Civil Code and population control.
Pointing out that the Opposition INDIA bloc has not even been able to finalise its leader, Ajit Pawar sought to know how they can run the government when India has a leader like PM Modi who has given stability to the country.
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