Maharashtra politics: Pawar moves cause unease inside MVA

Unrest in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is palpable in the wake of a meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, who had joined the BJP government last month. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress did not appear to be satisfied with Pawar senior's clarification that he would never go with the BJP and that the meeting with his nephew was a family affair that could not be a matter of news.

Pawar had made a similar statement on Sunday and reiterated it on Monday as well, after the MVA partners expressed their concerns in a strong manner. The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, who is considered close to Sharad Pawar, was very straightforward and aggressive in demanding that the confused party workers, particularly of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), be given a clear picture by the ‘Bhishma Pitamah' (the octogenarian leader).

Nana Patole

‘What if we meet Shinde?'

Referring to Pawar's MLA grandnephew Rohit's justification of a family meeting, Raut asked what the party workers were supposed to do while the leaders maintained their relationship by meeting regularly.

"It's not in the Shiv Sena's DNA, it could be their DNA," he said, in reference to the NCP factions. He asked what would happen if he or other leaders regularly met traitors and Shinde, who was once a good friend. "What message would such meetings give to the workers? Why should party workers fight for ideology then, face police cases and bullets? It is about the country and Maharashtra. At least, such things are not expected from the Bhishma Pitamah..."

NCP chief Sharad Pawar addressing the media in May. File pic

Raut's statement came after his party chief Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress president Nana Patole met on Sunday night to discuss the issue that, according to Raut, was bound to impact the MVA if not settled at the earliest. Pune's was the fourth meeting between the uncle and nephew that the people know of ever since the former joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2. Every time they met, speculations were rife but died down with Pawar senior's clarifications.

However, this time around, the MVA partners seemed to have lost their patience and came out in open questioning Pawar on the grounds that such acts endangered the Opposition bloc in Maharashtra, the second largest in terms of seat share after Uttar Pradesh, that the BJP wants to retain anyhow in 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Nana Patole, president, state Congress unit

Rahul informed: Patole

Patole also demanded a clarification from Pawar. When asked about the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in Pune, he said that such meetings created confusion among the people. "If they are relatives, they can visit each other's home, but why hold a meeting secretly? A discussion has been held with Uddhav Thackeray. Rahul Gandhi ji has also been informed about this. The Congress High Command is keeping an eye on the political situation in the state. This will be discussed with them in the INDIA alliance meeting to be held in Mumbai," he said.

Uddhav Thackeray did not make a statement, but the Sena mouthpiece Saamana's hard-hitting articles conveyed his feelings in the strongest terms. Asked about the article, an irked Pawar senior shot back, insisting that it was his statement that would matter most. He further said he along with Thackeray and Patole were working together for the INDIA meeting to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. He also observed that the BJP was misusing Central enforcement agencies to target leaders from other parties. He was referring to a case involving his party colleague Jayant Patil's brother.

Fixed match since 2014: Raj

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray said the first team (of NCP) had been sent and the second would go soon. "They are all together. It started in 2014," he said, casting doubts on Pawar senior who had extended unconditional support to Devendra Fadnavis's minority government.

"Don't you remember? Do you remember the swearing-in ceremony that had taken place early morning [in 2019]?" he asked media persons.