Ajit faction to hold rally in Beed, but not target Pawar
The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Mumbai is unsure whether to target party chief Sharad Pawar or not. They have decided to hold public rallies to strengthen their own party rather than engaging in a "tit for tat" with Pawar. The first rally will be held in Beed on August 27, where senior leaders will speak but refrain from directly attacking Pawar. The faction is also planning to respond to other NCP leaders who criticized them during Pawar's rally in Beed on August 17.
Mumbai: After declaring to respond to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar previously, the Ajit Pawar faction now seems to be in two minds about whether to target the veteran leader or not, who they also call their daivat (deity) and political teacher.
There is a view within the Ajit faction that holding rallies in response to senior Pawar’s rallies may prove counterproductive and would end up giving more sympathy to the NCP founder. After deliberations, the rebel camp has decided to put across their side to the people by holding public rallies rather than a “tit for tat” which might prove counterproductive.
The first such rally is going to be held in Beed from where Pawar resumed his statewide tour to rebuild the party following the split in the party led by his nephew Ajit Pawar. The rally will be held on August 27 where Ajit and other senior leaders will speak and refrain from directly attacking Pawar, insiders from the Ajit led faction said. It was also decided to respond to other NCP leaders who had slammed the rebel faction during Pawar’s Beed rally on August 17.
“We have decided to hold a public meeting in Beed but not to respond or compete with anyone. It will be an endeavour to strengthen our own party and nothing else,” Sunil Tatkare, state president, Ajit-led NCP faction, said, while confirming the development.
Soon after splitting the party, Ajit on July 5 declared to hold a rally at the same venue and respond to Pawar if the latter tried to target him or his colleagues by holding public meetings in their respective constituencies. At a rally held at the Mumbai Education Trust (MET) in Bandra, deputy chief minister Ajit made sharp attacks against his 82-year-old uncle and bluntly told him that it was time for him to retire from active politics.
“Are you ever going to retire?”Ajit had asked his uncle. “Public servants retire at 58 or 60. In a party like the BJP, they retire at 75. You are 83, when are you going to stop?” he hollered from the dais.
This led to a backlash from the party supporters and the people. “There was a reaction among the workers and the people when Ajit dada criticised Pawar saheb during his first public meeting (in Mumbai). The party cannot afford to annoy people and since then no one has said anything against him,” a senior rebel NCP leader pointed out. In the same rally Praful Patel and Chhagan Bhujbal too made direct attack on Pawar. However, following adverse reactions from the people, all leaders of the Ajit faction have stopped targeting senior Pawar.
“At the same time Pawar saheb too deferred his statewide tour and there was complete ceasefire from both the sides. Now after a short break, we are facing the same question (after Pawar’s Beed rally). Many leaders are not in favour of criticising Pawar saheb in any way,” he added. Significantly, after targeting the veteran leader, Ajit met Pawar thrice, urging him to join the BJP-led NDA and avoiding a split in the party. Pawar, however, remained unfazed.
During the Beed rally, Pawar slammed the rebel NCP faction saying that they should not forget those who made “them” and the people will show them their place. “Run after power but at least show humanity towards those because of whom you have become something (in your life), if you don’t do this then people will teach you a lesson,” he said, while addressing Swabhiman rally on August 17.
The Ajit camp is also furious at the way junior leaders cast aspersions against the rebel factions and their leadership. “We cannot respond to Pawar saheb but will have to reply to those who were attacking Ajit dada during the Beed rally,” a functionary from the Ajit-led faction said.
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