“I was the one who brought him back after the 2019 midnight swearing-in ruckus” — Amid the split in NCP after Ajit Pawar turned rogue and joined hands with the BJP to become a part of the Maharashtra government, veteran leader and Ajit aide Chhagan Bhujbal accused Sharad Pawar of playing games with his nephew.
Speaking exclusively to News18, the Maharashtra minister said one cannot reveal all their cards at once in politics. “When you people were asking me, I had always said he [Ajit Pawar] is our leader, I never said he is our president. It’s not the case that we don’t have confidence. If MLAs don’t want to come, they will not come now also. Those who want to leave us can go today also. But the situation is that people who are with them have joined us now,” Bhujbal said.
On the suspension of national office-bearers and MLAs and who has got control over the party, the senior leader said as per him, the reins were in Ajit Pawar’s hands. “He has got the support of more MLAs and party workers. You must have seen both meetings [of NCP]. Our meeting was house full and we got tremendous response. The legal battle will continue and the court will take the final decision.”
Bhujbal also sought to play down the confusion of party workers, saying this was common in case of a split. “But at this moment, I feel Ajit Pawar enjoys the support of more than 85 per cent party workers and the elected members of the party.”
Personally, Bhujbal admitted that leaving the Shiv Sena was a more difficult decision for him compared to cutting ties with Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
“Balasaheb Thackeray gave us love. We had differences later but still carried love for him. But here, Pawar saheb held meetings with BJP 4-5 times in Delhi and then took U-turns. We all were confused about what is happening in the party. Sharad Pawar changed his stand on many occasions. If someone changes their stand once, we can consider it a mistake but what can be said if it happens regularly?”
When asked if Pawar’s dilly-dallying was why central agencies were deployed against NCP leaders, Bhujbal said it was possible. “Ultimately, we had to face action,” he rued.
Talking about the infamous 2019 swearing-in, the veteran leader said he had brought back Ajit Pawar after the drama and proposed his name for deputy chief minister.
“But I was not aware of many things then. Later I got to know that these people [Sharad Pawar camp] had gone to Delhi and promised BJP that they will join hands with them. Despite giving his word and asking Ajit Pawar to go ahead, Pawar saheb called it a ‘googly’ from my side. You can’t play games with your nephew. I didn’t like the decision.
“This is why Ajit Pawar was hurt and he expressed it too. Ajit worked relentlessly for the party. He is still hurt because of that. But the way this fight is being fought, I don’t think there is any scope that both factions will come together. You can’t predict anything but the split in the family is painful and won’t get healed so early,” he said.
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