Rift in MVA over questioning CM on Nagpur land scam

Questions are being raised on the stand of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, whose duty it is as Leader of the Opposition in the assembly to coordinate and lead the Opposition’s attack on the ruling parties

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) appeared divided over the attack on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde vis-a-vis his controversial allotment of an NIT plot in Nagpur against which a Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has passed strictures. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) attacked Shinde in the legislative council, the party got no support from its allies, the NCP and Congress, in the assembly.

Nagpur, India - December 21, 2022: Maha Vikas Aghadi MLAs protest against the Maharashtra Government demanding resignation of Chief Minster Eknath Shinde, on the third day of the Winter Session of Maharashtra State Assembly, at Vidhan Bhawan, in Nagpur, Wednsday, December 21, 2022. (Photo by Sunny Shende/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Questions are being raised on the stand of NCP leader Ajit Pawar, whose duty it is as Leader of the Opposition in the assembly to coordinate and lead the Opposition’s attack on the ruling parties.

“We were expecting Ajit Pawar to attack Shinde and his government over the issue, but he chose to keep quiet,” said a Congress leader. “It was raised by Chhagan Bhujbal without support from other leaders from his party. After Shinde gave his clarification, he was not cross-questioned or taken to task over his corruption. Our state chief, Nana Patole, expressed his unhappiness over the submissive approach of Ajit Pawar on Tuesday. Even on Wednesday, we failed to build up pressure on the government.”

The leader also claimed that Ajit Pawar was avoiding attacking the ruling parties, pointing, as further evidence, to Pawar’s silence when a state minister used abusive words against his cousin, NCP MP Supriya Sule, last month.

After a poor show on the first day of the winter session, the Opposition had decided to step up the attack on the Shinde-Fadnavis government in the land allotment case. The Shiv Sena (UBT), represented by Ambadas Danve, leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, raised the issue on Tuesday. It led to disruptions in the Upper House with the issue dominating the proceedings. However, there was no such aggression shown by the Opposition in the assembly.

Shiv Sena (UBT) too is not happy with Ajit Pawar’s submissive stand taken on an issue which could put the government in the soup. “The NCP’s stand is unexpected, as all the three parties had unanimously decided to fight it together,” said a former minister from Shiv Sena. “Unless the attack is led by the Leader of the Opposition in the house, it gets no traction. The Congress’s Nana Patole tried to raise it again on Wednesday, but it was dismissed by the Speaker, saying the issue had been discussed in the house on Tuesday. Had it been raised together aggressively, it would not have been possible for the government to brush it off.”

Danve, who claimed to have the note in which the NIT chairman Manoj Suryawanshi had objected to allotting the said land to 16 individuals at a throwaway price, led the chorus for the CM’s resignation. As the Opposition turned aggressive, ruling party members trooped to the well and asked the chair not to allow Danve’s motion as the government had already replied to the issue on Tuesday. They also said the issue as sub-judice and hence could not be discussed in the House. The House was adjourned four times following the uproar.

“There are very many of issues over which we can push the ruling parties to the wall but we have failed to do so,” the Sena leader quoted above said. “We have lost the opportunity and are unlikely to regain the upper hand in the remaining period of the session.”