Had pre-scheduled meetings, informed Shah about my absence, clarifies Ajit

Ajit Pawar on Sunday rejected the speculations regarding his absence during union home minister Amit Shah’s one-day Mumbai visit and said he had prior engagements in Baramati

Mumbai: While the differences among the three ruling parties have become a hot topic in the state, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday rejected the speculations regarding his absence during union home minister Amit Shah’s one-day Mumbai visit and said he had prior engagements in Baramati.

Ajit split the NCP and joined the coalition government as deputy chief minister in July. However, just after two months, on Saturday, his statement of “who knows what is going to happen tomorrow” raised eyebrows in political circles, and the differences in the ruling alliance over the distribution of portfolios and guardian minister positions again came to the fore (HT PHOTO)

“I conveyed this to his (Amit Shah) office that I will not be present during his tour. I had informed Devendra ji and CM Shinde as well,” Ajit said on Sunday. “I did not want to miss the annual general body (AGM) meeting of five organisations in Baramati as AGM happens only once in a year, The agenda of the meetings was fixed 15 days ago.”

Ajit split the NCP and joined the coalition government as deputy chief minister in July. However, just after two months, on Saturday, his statement of “who knows what is going to happen tomorrow” raised eyebrows in political circles, and the differences in the ruling alliance over the distribution of portfolios and guardian minister positions again came to the fore.

“Our organisation needs to be strengthened by making it financially sustainable. We are getting the upper hand because Ajit Pawar is in the government and is holding the finance department today, but tomorrow it will sustain or not, no one knows. Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow,” Ajit said in Baramati on Saturday.

Downplaying the statement, the state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “It is true no one knows what is going to happen in future. It is a natural statement and not political.”