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Don’t know why Ajit took this decision: Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday ruled out any support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and categorically denied any hand in
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday ruled out any support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and categorically denied any hand in his nephew Ajit’s decision to support the BJP to form the government.
Addressing a press conference at Karad in Satara district, Pawar said: “I have not met Ajit Pawar and don’t know why he took this decision. The NCP does not support the BJP in government formation… If I was involved, I would have told my colleagues.”
He was speaking on the sidelines of an event to pay tributes to his political mentor and late chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan at Preeti Sangam Samadhi Sthal in Karad, on the occasion of Chavan’s 35th death anniversary.
“Any decision regarding joining hands with another party has to be placed before the party and the party’s decision is final. The BJP was not in a position to form the government and it had given a letter [stating so] to the Maharashtra governor earlier, but now it has formed the government. It wants to show that it is a party with a difference and has exposed itself in the public,” he said.
Pawar accused the BJP of misusing the powers of the Central government to form a government in the state. “The floor test will show the BJP does not have a majority.”
Pawar was accompanied by newly-elected Satara MP Shriniwas Patil and other leaders.
Asked about the delay in government formation and multiple rounds of talks between the NCP, Sena and Congress, Pawar said if a government formed by three parties with different ideologies has to work for five years, detailed discussions on a common minimum programme are essential. “Sometimes the Sena’s stand on a particular issue is different from the other two parties. In such scenarios, we have to keep contradictory issues aside and come together in the interest of people,” he said. “Someone announces complete farm loan waiver ahead of the election. It is okay to announce it in the manifesto, but when the government is to be run, one needs to check the nitty-gritties.”
