What is going on between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar?
The feud between two prominent NCP leaders, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, is intensifying with each passing day. Since Ajit Pawar's decision to join the Shiv Sena and BJP-led government on July 2, anger against him has been growing within the Sharad Pawar camp.
In response, Ajit Pawar has retaliated with sharp words directed at the party patriarch, Sharad Pawar.
Verbal exchange
On Wednesday, Pawar indirectly criticized his uncle, taunting him for not retiring even at the age of 83.
He said: "You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still deeply respect him. But let me ask you this, IAS officers retire at 60, and even in politics, BJP leaders retire at 75. Look at the examples of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Bless us with your guidance. You are 83, shouldn't you consider retiring?"
In response, Pawar's daughter and NCP's working President, Supriya Sule, defended her father and admonished Ajit Pawar. She remarked, "Disrespect us, not our father," during her address in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Sule also reminded Ajit Pawar of her father's political acumen, highlighting how he prevented the BJP from forming the government in the state in 2019, despite being the single-largest party. "I witnessed the 2019 elections, and this 84-year-old man fought and emerged victorious," Sule said.
Sharad Pawar and Hindutva
Ajit Pawar also commented on his uncle Sharad Pawar's political inclinations, questioning his changed stance in 2017 when he allied with the Shiv Sena, known for its hardline Hindutva ideology. This has led to speculation that if Sharad Pawar could ally with the Shiv Sena, he could also ally with the BJP.
Sharad Pawar responded to this allegation by stating that the Hindutva practiced by the Shiv Sena is inclusive, not divisive. He said, "Yes, Shiv Sena endorses Hindutva, but their Hindutva brings people together, including minorities. The BJP's version of Hindutva, however, remains destructive and divisive. It creates divisions among human beings." Pawar further attributed recent communal riots in the country to the BJP's policies.
Ajit Pawar claims party name and symbol
Ajit Pawar has gone a step further by staking claim to the NCP party name and symbol. He has also written to the Election Commission (EC) regarding this matter. On the other hand, the NCP has separately written to the EC, stating their intent to file the disqualification of the nine MLAs who have left the party.
Ajit Pawar's ambitions
Ajit Pawar's actions align with the adage that there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. When he aligned with Eknath Shinde and the BJP government to assume the Deputy CM post, it was widely seen as an opportunistic move.
In the past four years, Ajit Pawar has held four different political roles. Following the hung assembly in the 2019 elections, Ajit Pawar made a desperate move to join the BJP with some MLAs and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister. However, this government lasted only 80 hours.
In a second chance, when Uddhav Thackeray broke away from the BJP and formed a government with the NCP and Congress, Ajit Pawar once again assumed the role of Deputy CM.
In 2022, Pawar became the Leader of Opposition (LoPin the assembly. In 2023, he once again switched sides to join the BJP along with 8 other MLAs to become the Deputy CM of Maharashtra.
When will this end?
The ongoing power struggle between the two Pawars revolves around the party name and symbol. The NCP currently holds 54 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly.
Ajit Pawar has the support of 8 MLAs, while the rest remain aligned with Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar enjoys the backing of staunch NCP loyalists such as Prafful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, and Hasan Mushrif.
With the Lok Sabha elections just 9 months away, it remains uncertain how the NCP will approach these polls. Furthermore, the Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled to take place within the next 15 months. The ongoing turmoil within the NCP may adversely affect its vote share if the party becomes divided before the elections.
The political uncertainty in Maharashtra, which emerged after the hung verdict of the 2019 assembly elections, is likely to persist until the next assembly polls.