Pawar comment hasty: Walse-Patil sorry
State cooperation minister and NCP legislator Dilip Walse-Patil criticized party chief Sharad Pawar, saying he could never become chief minister on his own. He later apologized for his remarks but the Ajit Pawar faction issued a statement supporting his original statement.
State cooperation minister and Ajit Pawar faction legislator Dilip Walse-Patil astounded many in both factions of the NCP when he launched an attack on his former mentor, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, in a meeting in Pune district on Sunday. He said that Pawar could never become chief minister on his own while leaders like Mamata and Mayawati won a majority on their own strength. His remarks evoked protests from the Pawar faction, following which he issued an apology.
Walse-Patil’s remarks came a day after Pawar publicly rebuked the Ajit-led faction in his Beed rally. “We keep saying that Pawar is the tallest leader in the country,” Walse-Patil jibed. “But the people of Maharashtra never gave him a majority so that he could form a government on his own.” Giving the examples of Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati, Walse-Patil said that regional parties were moving ahead. “But our leader, who is among the tallest, has failed to go beyond 60 to 70 seats, forcing us to forge alliances with other parties,” he declared.
A video of Walse-Patil’s speech went viral on Monday and evoked strong reactions from the Pawar faction. Party workers from the youth wing staged a protest outside the NCP headquarters at Ballard Pier, tore Walse-Patil’s pictures and raised slogans against the 66-year old leader. NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad compared him with a snake.
Following the reactions, Walse-Patil apologised via a video statement, claiming that he had only expressed his regret that the people of Maharashtra had not stood by Pawar despite his working for the state and country for over 50 years. However, a twist in the tale followed hours later when the Ajit faction issued a statement. “Walse Patil apologised for the misunderstanding but is firm on the statement that Pawar saheb has not been able to form the government with full majority in Maharashtra. The reasons behind it are still unanswered,” stated the tweet made by the official handle of the rebel faction, @NCPSpeaks1.
Shocked NCP leaders react bitterly
Walse-Patil, a seven-term MLA from Ambegaon in Pune district, began his political career as Pawar’s personal assistant in the 1980s. A protege of Pawar, he was made a minister in successive governments after the NCP was formed in 1999. During the MVA government’s tenure, Pawar chose him as home minister following the resignation of Anil Deshmukh in an alleged bribery case.
In NCP circles, Walse-Patil was always known as Pawar’s blue-eyed boy. His joining the Ajit faction came as a surprise to the Pawar camp though it was known that he was disturbed following a probe by central agencies into the finances of his friends. He currently serves as a trustee of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute, of which Pawar is chairman. His daughter Purva handles Mumbai Dialogue, an initiative of the Y B Chavan Centre led by Supriya Sule.
Walse-Patil’s tirade did not go down well with the party. “The leaders who were around Pawar saheb did not carry out their responsibility, which is one reason why the NCP could not get a majority in Maharashtra,” retorted Pawar’s grandnephew and legislator Rohit Pawar. Awhad said, “All the snakes are coming out of their burrows.”
Significantly, Walse-Patil was home minister when the MVA government was caught unawares by Eknath Shinde’s rebellion. “Several leaders in our party wondered how the home minister was unaware of a plan to pull down the government when intelligence officers briefed him about various activities in the state on a regular basis,” pointed out a senior leader from the Pawar faction.
Following the remarks, there is a possibility that Pawar will address a rally in Walse-Patil’s constituency, which he had avoided earlier.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.