NAGPUR: On Monday, as a video of ex-minister Nawab Malik getting into deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s car during the latter’s Jan Sanman Yatra in Mumbai spread on social media, political circles were rife with discussion on its significance for NCP (Ajit Pawar) within Mahayuti.
The BJP had made it vehemently clear during the winter assembly session in Nagpur that Malik, who is currently out on bail, is not welcome in the alliance due to the nature of allegations against him.While Ajit Pawar kept a lid on the issue for almost eight months, his public bonhomie with Malik now is the latest in a series of actions that suggest all is not well within the Mahayuti, specifically for the NCP.
It started with RSS-affiliated publications blaming the Ajit Pawar group for BJP’s poor performance in Lok Sabha elections, followed by Shiv Sena (Shinde) leaders also echoing the same. But the last 15 days seem to have brought about a drastic change in how NCP (Ajit) is moving ahead within the alliance. It can be interpreted either as Ajit Pawar preparing the groundwork for an exit from the Mahayuti, or as gathering ammunition to be used in the battlefield during seat-sharing negotiations.
The last 15 days have seen Ajit Pawar embark upon a public outreach campaign and make media statements that ‘it was a mistake to field wife Sunetra against cousin Supriya Sule in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency’. Ajit even told a media house that he would visit Supriya for Rakshabandhan. Even as the overtures to Sharad Pawar were being analysed, Ajit’s convoy was shown black flags by alleged BJP workers in Pune district.
On Monday, Ajit openly ventured into the strictly no-go zone for BJP — Nawab Malik. The former minister spent more than a year behind bars following allegations of money laundering and connections with the underworld.
Former home minister and NCP (Sharad) leader Anil Deshmukh said Ajit Pawar’s exit is a certainty. “BJP will tell Ajit to leave Mahayuti and contest separately, with a promise to accommodate him in the alliance after polls. So, anti-Ajit votebank won’t impact Mahayuti.”
Deshmukh added that if Ajit quits Mahayuti, he’s completely on his own. “There is no chance of Ajit being welcomed back. Pawar senior has ruled it out.”
In Nagpur, Ajit Pawar group members say the rumours of his exit from Mahayuti are baseless. Prashant Pawar, city president of NCP (Ajit), said, “Even Fadnavis has made it clear that NCP is part of the Mahayuti and we will fight elections together. Regarding Malik, it is his daughter who will make a debut in polls and that’s why the two senior leaders have been meeting often.”
About Ajit’s overtures to Sharad Pawar, he said, “When Ajit dada said it was a mistake to field a candidate against cousin Supriya, we should view it in a positive way. Only an honest man can accept mistakes in public.”
Rajabhau Tanksale, state vice-president of NCP (Sharad Pawar) said the fissures within Mahayuti are untenable now. “Why else would Ajit dada defy BJP and roam openly with Malik?” he asked. NCP (Sharad) city chief Duneshwar Pethe too said Ajit’s exit from Mahayuti is imminent. “It’s clear that Mahayuti is short-lived,” said Pethe with confidence.
