Sharad Pawar denies blessing Ajit revolt, sacks key aides, displays show of strength post-split

Satara: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday rejected suggestions the rebellion by his nephew Ajit Pawar, now a deputy chief minister in Maharashtra's Shinde-led government, had his blessings as he displayed a show of strength to assert authority over the party that is battling its worst crisis.

In a related development, Sharad Pawar sacked party's working president Praful Patel and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare, who have sided with Ajit Pawar in his rebellion, for engaging in "anti-party” activities.

The former Union minister, in a tweet, said, "I, as the National President, of Nationalist Congress Party hereby order the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities.” Addressing a press conference in western Maharashtra's Satara district, Sharad Pawar said he has launched a statewide tour to strengthen the NCP and boost the confidence of its workers, unfazed by actions of a few leaders.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become deputy chief minister. Eight other NCP legislators, some of them considered very close to the party patriarch, were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-BJP government.

Asked whether Ajit Pawar's rebellion had his blessings, the NCP chief said, "It is a mean thing to say. Only those with a mean and low intellect can say this. I have set out on a tour of the state and galvanize the cadre. They should not feel disillusioned with what some leaders have done." Separately addressing NCP workers and supporters at Karad in Satara district, the 82-year-old politician maintained there was a need to fight forces creating communal divide in Maharashtra and the country.

The former Union minister, who co-founded the NCP in 1999 after leaving the Congress, rued defections in his outfit, saying "some of our people fell prey to BJP's tactics to break other parties." "Attempts are being made to create communal divide in Maharashtra and the country. We need to fight forces that create fear among peace-loving citizens. We need to protect democracy in the country," he added.

The NCP chief said a "wrong kind of tendency" was rearing its head and the same tendency attempted to break the party in the state which was working on democratic principles.

"The objective behind this is to take the country's affairs ahead with the help of these communal ideologies, and the same tendency took the same approach to turn things upside down in the state. Unfortunately, some of our colleagues fell prey to these tactics," he said.

Common citizens of Maharashtra, the land of social reformers like Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule and B R Ambedkar, will show the tendencies, which are instrumental in breaking the other parties, their right place, he said.

"In the next few months, we will get an opportunity to go to the people and with their help, we will push these tendencies aside and once again we will create a system that will work in the interest of the common people," he said.

Referring to the 2022 Shiv Sena rebellion, Sharad Pawar said in 2019 they came together under the banner of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray and formed a government, but some people, by "hook or crook", toppled the government last year.

"It is not just happening in Maharashtra, but they are doing it in other states also. The Madhya Pradesh government, led by (Congress leader) Kamal Nath, was toppled (in March 2020) in a similar manner and the government, which encouraged communalism came into existence," he said.

The NCP president said the Congress, a constituent of the MVA, was justified in claiming the post of Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, a position held Ajit Pawar before he joined the Shinde government.

The NCP patriarch said he doesn't do politics by harbouring malaise against anyone.

The Congress currently has 45 MLAs in the 288-member state Assembly. The NCP has 53 MLAs. The Ajit Pawar camp and the BJP have claimed the support of more than 40 NCP MLAs.

Sharad Pawar said the Congress currently has the highest number of seats in the Opposition bloc in Maharashtra and its claim for the post of Leader of Opposition post was justified.

"As per my information, the Congress has more numbers (than NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction), so its demand for the LoP post is right," Sharad Pawar said.

Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar on Monday said his party should claim the LoP's post, a Cabinet-level position.

Asked about state NCP president Jayant Patil's petition to the Speaker seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP leaders who joined the ruling alliance, Sharad Pawar said, "I don't know what exactly Patil has done because I left the house in the morning, but Patil is known for working as per rules and regulations." "I will not take any decision on whether disqualification needs to be done or not. The decision will be taken by Jayant Patil and his other colleagues. That is his prerogative. One thing is clear that whatever they (Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs) have done is not right, but I don't do politics by harbouring malaise against anyone," he said.

Before addressing the gathering, the NCP president visited the memorial of his mentor and Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan in Karad and paid floral tributes to him. The visit by veteran politician, who has served as Maharashtra CM multiple times, to late Chavan's memorial 'Pritisangam' on the occasion of Guru Purnima is being seen as a show of strength by him.

Earlier, Sharad Pawar left Pune, his home district, for Karad and stopped along the way to meet supporters who lined up on roadsides to greet him and extend support to him.

In Karad, he was welcomed by thousands of supporters and local NCP MLA Balasaheb Patil. NCP's Satara Lok Sabha member Shriniwas Patil and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, who hails from Karad, were also present.