Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday claimed that the decision to break away from the NCP and join the Mahayuti government was taken with the permission of NCP founder and his uncle, Sharad Pawar.
The NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader was speaking a day after his party’s national working president, Praful Patel, announced that he (Ajit Pawar) would fight the assembly election from Baramati.
Addressing a doctors’ meeting in Baramati, Ajit Pawar said: “My political stand was not to hurt anyone but whatever political step Itook… it was with the permission of Sharad Pawar.”
Sharad Pawar later changed his stand and expressed disagreement with his decision, Ajit Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar also admitted that pitting his wife Sunetra Pawar against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency was wrong. “Baramati voters had voted sympathetically for Supriya because they thought Sharad Pawar was getting old,” he claimed.
During a visit to Bhandara district on Wednesday, Praful Patel agreed with Ajit Pawar’s statement and claimed that in the past the undivided NCP had made several attempts to join the BJP alliance.
“Several attempts were made by the undivided NCP to join hands with Mahayuti, but those decisions were later changed. Ajit Pawar is telling the truth,” he said.
Moreover, he said, “since the beginning there has been no unanimity among the MVA partners. That was one reason we decided to move out of the MVA”.
Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thacekray’s demand to announce CM face from Mahayuti shows that things are not well among the MVA allies, he added.
Patel claimed that seat-sharing talks among the Mahayuti allies is going smoothly. “As of today, we have come to a conclusion on almost 235 seats. Talks on the remaining seats will end in the next few days and you will get a clear picture soon.” Patel also clarified that the BJP is the biggest party in Mahayuti and will get more seats.
