Team Ajit calls on Pawar Sr; latter asks about kharif crops
The Maharashtra political drama is far from over. On Monday, rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and several of the MLAs who defected with them reached the YB Chavan Prathishthan at Nariman Point to seek Sharad Pawar’s “guidance”
Mumbai: The Maharashtra political drama is far from over. On Monday, rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and several of the MLAs who defected with them reached the YB Chavan Prathishthan at Nariman Point to seek Sharad Pawar’s “guidance.”
This was Ajit Pawar’s third visit in the last four days to meet his uncle and the founder of the NCP, baffling political analysts. Ajit requested Sharad Pawar to project a “united front.” The NCP rebels told the media after an hour-long meeting with Pawar that they had gone there to seek the octogenarian leader’s “blessings” and not wanting a “split in NCP”.
That these reconciliatory visits come within a fortnight of the much-trumpeted rebellion by Ajit Pawar when he declared that at 82 it was time for his uncle to retire, has led to much speculation about the possible causes for these overtures.
Characteristically, Sharad Pawar, the most consummate of all politicians, has remained inscrutable, choosing to discuss the rains and the kharif crop with the rebel MLAs in his hour-long meeting with them on Monday.
Praful Patel with whom Pawar met separately along with Ajit Pawar later told the media that it was hard to read Sharad Pawar’s mind. “He listened to our requests of a rethink but did not react,” Patel said.
NCP leader Jayant Patil who remains loyal to Sharad Pawar said there was no question of a rethink or an alliance with the BJP and that Sharad Pawar was going to join the opposition leaders’ meeting in Bangalore on Tuesday.
The Ajit faction’s repeated meetings are being seen as both, a last-ditch attempt to bring Pawar on board and also a way to quell the public backlash against the rebel leader, following his recent remark about his uncle’s age.
At the heart of the turnaround by Ajit Pawar seem to be two recent surveys. The one conducted by ABP C Voter had 66% respondents in favour of Sharad Pawar as real chief of the NCP while 25% supported Ajit. Another survey, conducted by the Sakal Media Group, which is owned by the Pawar family that showed 43.6% respondents supported the senior Pawar while 23.1% were in favour of Ajit.
As many as 80.9% respondents did not approve the politics of splitting parties for power. When asked whom would they vote, 26.8% favoured BJP, 19.1% said the Congress, 14.9% said Sharad Pawar, while only 5.7% preferred Ajit.
There is also reportedly pressure upon Ajit Pawar from all sides, including MLAs who have sided with him to bring PAwar senior on board. None of these MLAs want to a defiant Sharad Pawar campaigning against them in 2024. Also, if the NCP vote share does not transfer to the NDA combine in its entirety, the Ajit rebellion is only half a win for them and not sufficiently effective.
Perhaps these concerns have necessitated the recent overtures. On Friday evening Ajit dropped by at Pawar’s residence Silver Oak, in south Mumbai to meet his aunt Pratibha who was recovering from a surgery. The deputy CM spent half an hour at the house, in which time he also met his uncle. The second meeting was on Sunday at Pawar’s office, where Ajit along with eight elected ministers met Pawar and requested him to project a “united front”. And the third meeting at YB Chavan Centre was with his MLAs with the same aim.
According to NCP insiders, the legislators have not taken too kindly to nine ministers meeting Pawar on Sunday. “During legislators’ meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan on Monday, many said they gained nothing from the rebellion, while those who became ministers are meeting Pawar to improve their relations. They added that it amounted to a loss of face in their respective constituencies,” said an NCP leader, privy to the development.
The Ajit camp is also wary of a negative wave especially in western Maharashtra. “Some of the MLAs have received poor feedback from their voters. They are worried about a counterblast during elections, and hence have requested seniors to attempt to get Pawar on their side,” said an NCP minister.
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