Ajit’s move leads to confusion among NCP leaders in Navi Mumbai

NCP leaders in Navi Mumbai are in confusion after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. Some support Sharad Pawar, while others are waiting to see what happens next.

NAVI MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s move to join forces with the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has left the party’s Navi Mumbai unit leaders in confusion. While some are openly siding with the party chief Sharad Pawar, those inclined towards Ajit Pawar have adopted a wait and watch policy to ensure there are no repercussions in case of another twist in the saga.

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The party had previously suffered a setback after the Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik switched loyalty to BJP before the 2019 Assembly elections.

City unit president Namdeo Bhagat, who was picked by Ajit Pawar after he quit the Shiv Sena, remained non-committal.

“Not just Ajit Pawar, but other top leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil have also joined the government. I do not want to make any comments for now. We need to understand the situation first,” Bhagat said. Another senior leader, G S Patil, has also taken a cautious approach.

On the other hand, Prashant Patil, NCP general secretary and party observer for Navi Mumbai has sided with the party chief Sharad Pawar. “I have only one Vitthal in the party and that is Sharad Pawar. There is no question of leaving him at any cost. The party rank and file are firmly behind him and it is not going to be any different in Navi Mumbai.”

“NCP will further strengthen not just in Navi Mumbai, but also Panvel and Raigad. Though there was a split in Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has done well. Similarly, under Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil and Supriya Sule, the party will further rise. This is a time for struggle. We have decided to fight and win,” he added.

Saluja Sutar, city NCP (women) chief, said that the party is firmly behind Sharad Pawar. Her husband and former corporator Sandeep Sutar said, “We did not leave even when Ganesh Naik left the party, though we had been with him for years and we also have family relations. There is no question of quitting now.”

Stating that it is too early to comment, another former corporator Raju Shinde, said, “We are with Sharad Pawar. We have had such an experience earlier. I am expecting some positive developments soon.”

“Even if a leader leaves the party, the power lies with the people in a democracy. In future elections, the people will decide which leader to be given power in view of the fact that some people have gone against the wishes of the mandate. Our committee meeting will be held soon and everyone’s views will be taken,” he added.