Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar. file | Photo credit: Vivek Bendre
Against the backdrop of discussions about the next political move of his nephew Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said that the Nationalist Congress Party will have to take strong action if anyone tries to break the party.
Amid rumors of an alliance with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajit Pawar on Friday said he would “100 per cent love to be the chief minister of Maharashtra” and the NCP may now stake claim for the CM’s post. That too instead of waiting for 2024, when assembly elections are due in the state.
Sharad Pawar said on Sunday, ‘If someone is trying to break the party (NCP) tomorrow, then this is their strategy. If we have to take a stand, we have to take it firmly. “It is inappropriate to talk about it today as we have not discussed it (the issue),” the NCP chief said without elaborating.
He was replying to a question about rumors of Ajit Pawar breaking away from the NCP in the event of the Supreme Court disqualifying 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In his weekly column in Marathi daily ‘Saamana’ on 16 April, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that Sharad Pawar had told Uddhav Thackeray during their meeting that no one wanted to switch, but his (Pawar) k) The family is being targeted.
If someone takes a personal decision to leave the NCP, it is a personal matter, but as a party “we will never go with the BJP,” Raut quoted senior Pawar as saying.
Notably, Ajit Pawar has refuted speculations that he and a group of MLAs loyal to him may forge an alliance with the BJP and said he will stick with the NCP till he is alive.