Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut asserted on Sunday that Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), would not repeat the "mistake" made by his nephew Ajit Pawar in aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Last month, NCP leader Ajit Pawar had joined the Maharashtra government under Eknath Shinde-BJP coalition as the deputy chief minister.
Eight additional NCP MLAs were also sworn in as cabinet ministers in tandem with him. Sharad Pawar's party is part of the opposition coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress. Sanjay Raut voiced that Ajit Pawar could potentially emerge as a significant leader if he were to establish his own political party and participate in elections independently. He cautioned that Ajit Pawar's political influence would wane if he followed Eknath Shinde's example by aligning with the BJP. In his weekly column "Rokhthok" in the Sena (UBT) publication 'Saamana', Raut stated, "In politics, towers matter and not sand castles."
Raut accused Ajit Pawar of capitalizing on his uncle's political foundation and now aiming to undermine his (uncle's) political trajectory. As the executive editor of 'Saamana', Raut noted that Sharad Pawar has taken a resolute stance against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his interaction with Ajit Pawar. He maintained that Sharad Pawar perceives supporting Modi as a support for regressive elements, and those who have defected from his party will face the end of their political careers. Raut firmly believed that Sharad Pawar would refrain from forming an alliance with the BJP, as he saw the matter not as one concerning individuals, but as a struggle between democracy and dictatorship.
Raut speculated that the meeting between the Pawars on August 5 might not have been political in nature. Given Sharad Pawar's leadership roles in various agricultural, cooperative, and educational institutions, Raut suggested the meetings could have pertained to the future of these organizations. Using a metaphor, Raut likened Ajit Pawar to a "carpenter bird" that would undermine Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's position. He alleged that it was certain that Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis would provide support to this metaphorical bird.
Raut contended that Ajit Pawar aspired to be the chief minister, and BJP MLAs who back Fadnavis believed that Shinde was becoming a liability for the party. He dismissed Shinde's claim of being assured the chief minister position after 2024, asserting that if that were the case, Ajit Pawar would not have been inducted in such a manner.
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