Is Maratha strongman Ajit Pawar being wooed by the BJP again?

New Delhi: Maratha strongman and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is seemingly being wooed by the Bharatiya Janata Party again. The senior leader, who has been completely sidelined in the Nationalist Congress Party, was in the national capital on Tuesday and is understood to have held a few important “private meetings”.

This comes even as Nationalist Congress Party is scheduled to hold a day-long important meeting today in New Delhi. The meeting, which is expected to be attended by senior NCP chief Sharad Pawar and its newly-anointed working presidents of the party Praful Patel and Supriya Sule, aims to discuss the party's strategy and chart its course for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Interestingly, Ajit Pawar is not likely to take part in the meet as he has not been made an office bearer during the recent changes to the party announced by Sharad Pawar. The timing of Ajit’s visit to the national capital has raised several eyebrows and it is understood that he may have touched base with important BJP leaders during his visit, sources said.

Though sources close to Ajit Pawar claimed that the senior leader was in New Delhi on Tuesday for a private visit to participate in a wedding and left for Mumbai late last evening. However, much is being read into this quick visit to the power corridors of the country. With the BJP also looking to expand its political alliance base ahead of 2024, Ajit Pawar may become an important cog in the possible expansion of the saffron wheel.

Ever since the changes in the top leadership of the NCP announced by Sharad Pawar, he has been seemingly engaged in a battle with his nephew. Sources stated that Ajit Pawar is keeping his options open and may decide on his future course of action very soon. Many in the party feel that he may even be posturing in front of the NCP leadership as part of a plan to keep them on the tenterhooks.

With decades of political experience, Ajit Pawar commands control over vote banks in several Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the state. The move to not allocate him with any important responsibility was widely viewed as one aimed at clipping his wings and Sharad Pawar making sure that a clear succession plan is in place for daughter Supriya Sule within the party.

Sharad Pawar has never fully trusted his nephew ever since his short-lived defection to the BJP’s side in November 2019. Devendra Fadnavis took oath and as CM and Ajit as his deputy before it all undone within hours.

These latest developments in the NCP are being closely monitored by the saffron front which wants to hold on to power in Maharashtra. With the BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance taking over power in Maharashtra, the saffron front hopes to weaken the Maha Vikas Aghadi over the next few months. Ajit Pawar can become an important player if joins the saffron camp or floats a new party that can later join as a NDA ally, it would adversely affect the MVA prospects in the next Lok Sabha polls and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

Maharashtra, one of the biggest states in the country, elects 48 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The state is high on priority for the BJP and Congress ahead of 2024 general elections.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to seek a third term in office, the BJP is aiming to improve its tally of 23 seats won in 2019. The party aims to wrest seats from its former ally Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, which had secured 18 seats riding on the back of a strong Modi wave in 2019 Lok Sabha election.