The way Sharad Pawar is rendering a statement is really worrisome for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) and Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, where the NCP is in alliance.
Over a month after Ajit Pawar split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the BJP camp, Sharad Pawar says that there is no conflict between them and his nephew Ajit Pawar, and he remains their leader. Sharad Pawar also denied a split in the party and said that a split happens when a major chunk of the party steps out at the national level.
Sharad Pawar has said, “There is no conflict that he (Ajit Pawar) is our leader; there is no split in the NCP. How does a split happen in a party? It happens when a large group separates from the party at the national level. But there is no such situation in the NCP today. Yes, some leaders took a different stance, but this can’t be called a split. They can do so in a democracy,” he said ahead of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance meeting in Mumbai.
This comes a day after NCP working president Supriya Sule also said that there was no split in the party and that the BJP had only managed to get some of the party MLAs into the ruling alliance.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut slammed the BJP, saying they are afraid of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. The comment comes ahead of the I.N.D.I.A. Alliance’s meeting in Mumbai, scheduled for August 31 and September 1. Sharad Pawar’s confusing statements indicate that in the future he will be the first person to sabotage I.N.D.I.A. and favor the BJP in state politics.
Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Shinde told Afternoon Voice, “Our alliance with Maha Vikas Aghadi is going smoothly and is accepted by the people because of our performance during the Uddhav Thackrey government”. “NCP, which is in alliance with MVA, should clarify their stance to avoid confusion,” Shinde further added.
Former MLA of MNS, Nitin Sardesai, said, Earlier, MNS chief Raj Thackeray predicted that, at present, only a few leaders of the NCP have formed alliances with the BJP, but in the future, the entire NCP party will form alliances with the BJP”. “While these ongoing issues of alliance are seen in the NCP, this situation is only misguiding the people of Maharashtra,” Sardesai further added.
Congress leader Manikrao Thakre said, “If some leaders of the NCP have moved with Ajit Pawar for the alliance of the BJP, this has not caused any harm to the alliance of the I.N.D.I.A., and people of Maharashtra have a lot of hopes in the alliance of the I.N.D.I.A.”
“According to me, the statement given by NCP Chief Sharad Pawar was his own opinion, and earlier, the NCP chief had supported the alliance of I.N.D.I.A., so this won’t affect the alliance MVA,” Thakre further added.
National spokesperson of AAP, Preeti Menon, said, “NCP chief is the senior leader in politics, and the alliance of I.N.D.I.A. has complete hopes as he is leading the alliance”.
Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena faction spokesperson Krishna Hegde said, “This matter raised in Maharashtra is NCP’s internal matter, but NCP leaders joining hands with the BJP has made the alliance of ‘Mahayuti’ strong”.
