New Delhi (Agency): With Ajit Pawar splitting the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with the support of over 29 MLAs and taking oath as the new Maharashtra deputy chief minister, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, accompanied by his grand-nephew and MLA Rohit Pawar, staged a massive show of political strength in Satara, in the sugar heartland of western Maharashtra, during his 140 km journey from Pune to Satara’s Karad. During his entire journey the massive crowds greeted Pawar while as he made his way to the Pritisangam in Karad, which is the resting place of his political guru Y.B. Chavan, who was the first Chief Minister of the newly-formed Maharashtra State in 1960.
Addressing party workers at the venue, Pawar said that he would not rest until those creating unrest in the state and the party are put in their place. Meanwhile, on July 3,SharadPawar’sdaughter and NCP working president Supriye Sule expelled Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Ajit Pawar from the NCP for “anti-party activities.” Sources close to Sharad Pawar say he is not inclined to make the same mistake as Uddhav Thackeray, who shut the doors on all defecting MLAs by dubbing them traitors when they left with Shinde. Sharad Pawar knows that the nine MLAs who joined the Maharashtra cabinet won’t return, but he wants to make sure the others know they can return anytime.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar’s faction has moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who took oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. However, Sharad Pawar is going ahead for a face-to-face interaction and trying to re-emerge as the tallest leader in Maharashtra politics. Clearly, Pawar is in no mood to forget or forgive those who stabbed him in the back. (IPA Service)
