NCP-BJP govt will stay, says Ajit Pawar; Sharad hits back

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Sunday hit back at nephew and rebel leader Ajit Pawar for claiming that the party had formed an alliance government with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra.

“There is no question of forming an alliance with the BJP. The NCP has unanimously decided to ally with Shiv Sena and Congress to form the (Maharashtra) government. Ajit Pawar’s statement is false and misleading in order to create confusion and false perception among the people,” the elder Pawar said.

His hard-hitting reaction came shortly after Ajit Pawar, who was suddenly sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday morning with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, broke his silence and made a series of tweets thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and insisting he was still in the NCP.

Ajit Pawar also changed his status to ‘Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra/ Nationalist Congress Party leader’ – though he was sacked as the party’s Legislature Party head on Sunday by the NCP.

“I am in the NCP and shall always be in the NCP and Sharad Pawar Saheb is our leader,” he declared.

“Our BJP-NCP alliance shall provide a stable government in Maharashtra for the next five years which will work sincerely for the welfare of the state and its people

“There is absolutely no need to worry, all is well. However, a little patience is required,” he added.

Reacting to Ajit Pawar’s tweets, state NCP President Jayant Patil, who has been named Legislature Party leader in his place, said that we are all the “founding members of the NCP and flourished under the guidance of (Sharad) Pawar Saheb”.

“Pawar Saheb has taken the decision not to ally with the BJP in the interests of the state… Kindly respect his decision and return,” he said.

Senior leader Jitendra Awhad wondered “which NCP is Ajit Pawar referring to… The one headed by Pawar Saheb or some other…”

IANS