Pawar stays away from former CMs felicitation, 5 NCP (SP) MLAs jump ship

MUMBAI: Even as NCP founder Sharad Pawar, along with other opposition leaders, refused to attend a felicitation function of former CMs organised by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in Mumbai, five former legislators from his party jumped ship and joined Ajit on Saturday.

The felicitation programme was part of the NCP’s four-day festival ‘Gauravshali Maharashtra’, and Sharad Pawar, along with Prithviraj Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan, Narayan Rane, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde were the invitees. Sharad Pawar said there was no question of him going, as the event was organised by the Mahayuti.

Fadnavis said that he would have liked to see all the former CMs on the same dais. “The opposition leaders should have come as it was not a political event but a festival of Maharashtra,” he said. “Every former CM has contributed to the development of the state. I was CM thrice, and one stint was the shortest ever CM stint: just 71 hours.” Ashok Chavan and Rane attended the function.

Just a few hours before, Ajit Pawar’s NCP poached key leaders from North Maharashtra from Sharad Pawar’s party. Former minister Gulabrao Deokar, former MLAs Satish Patil, Kailash Patil, Dilip Sonawane, Dilip Wagh and Sharad Patil joined the NCP in a function in Mumbai. Though the induction of key leaders from Jalgaon and Dhule has strengthened the party, it has also led to infighting within allies NCP and Shiv Sena. Sena leader Gulabrao Patil raised strong objections to the induction of Deokar, who had contested the assembly polls against him.

Ajit, while speaking at the function, questioned why Sharad Pawar was against his joining hands with the BJP when he himself had joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in 2019. “If you could go with the Shiv Sena (in 2019), why can’t we go with the BJP?” he questioned. “Nobody is a friend or foe of any other party permanently in politics.” The deputy CM added that the BJP government at the Centre was indispensable for Maharashtra’s development, having funded projects to the tune of “lakhs of crores”.

The exchange of words between the Pawars comes after speculation that their party would eventually join hands after Ajit and Sharad Pawar attended two events together recently. Ajit, in a public function, had also showered praise on his uncle for his contribution to the state. His bitter remarks on Saturday have put paid to the conjecture, said insiders from both parties.