Eyeing cooperative sector, BJP wooed Ajit

NCP chief Sharad Pawar's retirement comes amid speculation that his nephew, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, was all set to split the party and join the BJP. The BJP's gameplan to gain politically in western Maharashtra and engineer a split in the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi coalition is believed to be a major reason for the crisis in the NCP. However, Sharad Pawar's retirement helped him in strengthening his hold over the party, staving off the BJP's plan.

Mumbai: The timing chosen by NCP chief Sharad Pawar for his retirement from the position of party chief comes against the backdrop of speculation that his nephew, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, was all set to split the party and join the BJP. The BJP’s gameplan to garner control over the cooperation sector, gain politically in western Maharashtra and engineer a split in the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition is believed to be a major reason for the crisis in the NCP.

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After the vertical split in the Shiv Sena failed to yield the desired benefits, the BJP had been looking at other options, and the induction of Ajit, who was reportedly in favour of joining hands with the party, would have helped it win at least a couple of Lok Sabha seats in western Maharashtra and also help take control of the cooperation sector, which has been the strength of both the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra. More importantly, the BJP could have been in a position to rupture the MVA, which has politically posed a challenge to it and the chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

According to NCP insiders, Ajit Pawar’s positive response to the BJP’s attempts created suspicions within the party and led to an internal crisis. “It’s true that the party was divided on the idea of joining hands with the BJP,” said a senior NCP leader. “A section of senior leaders was in favour of it. Ajit Pawar’s initial silence on the rumours fuelled uncertainty in the party. Pawar has dealt a masterstroke at the right time, which has helped him in strengthening his hold over the party. This has come after he bluntly told a section of party leaders keen on going with the BJP that they were free to leave the party if they wanted to switch loyalties.”

The BJP, whose internal survey has projected a decline in Lok Sabha seats in 2024, was considering poaching from the NCP to improve its prospects in the general elections. “Our party has also been struggling to improve its presence in the cooperation sector,” said a senior BJP leader. “Though we could fare well, the NCP won an equal number of seats in the recent agriculture produce market committees’ elections. Leaders like Ajit Pawar have a stronghold in their respective districts, and their induction into the party helps strengthen our roots not only in politics but in various other sectors like cooperation.”

Mumbai-based political analyst Pratap Asbe said it was a fact that the BJP had been attempting to poach Ajit Pawar for various reasons. “The foremost of them was to dent the unity and credibility of the MVA,” he pointed out. “But though it led to a crisis in the NCP and, in turn, unrest in the MVA, Sharad Pawar has successfully staved off the plan.”