A cordial break-up

The split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has taken a surprising turn with the two factions showing cordial relations, but tensions may rise again as senior party leader Sharad Pawar resumes his state tour and the Election Commission decides on the faction's claim to the party symbol. Meanwhile, in the BJP, senior leaders from Maharashtra have been given key positions in the party's national executive, indicating their importance at the national level. In the Congress, senior leaders are becoming more aggressive in their attacks on the government in a bid to secure the vacant leader of opposition post. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari candidly admitted that winning voters' trust is crucial for success in elections.

The split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) began bitterly in the beginning of this month but will the two factions of the party now part ways amicably? After the initial outburst, the sudden show of cordial relations by the two factions took everyone by surprise. Ajit Pawar set the tone by meeting uncle and party chief Sharad Pawar for three days in a row from July 14. Leaders from the Ajit faction also decided not to criticise senior Pawar after targeting him bitterly for the first few days.

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On the other hand, the legislators who joined the Ajit faction or their relatives continue to be on various establishments and associations led by senior Pawar or his aides. Some of them wanted to resign after the split but they were asked to continue by the Pawar faction saying that politics and non-political work should be kept separate.

In the legislature, unlike the Shiv Sena’s MLAs from the rival factions who are rarely seen interacting with each other, rival NCP legislators behave in an informal manner, often sharing a laugh. The office of the NCP legislature party is also shared by leaders from both the parties and sometimes they are found chatting about what situation they have found themselves in.

Last week, photos of state unit presidents of both the factions, Jayant Patil (Pawar faction) and Sunil Tatkare (Ajit faction) went viral as they were seen joking and chatting in the legislature premises. The cordial relations between the two factions puzzled many as there were speculations about reconciliation between the factions. The speculations could be short-lived as senior Pawar has decided to resume his state tour from August 16 which means he would continue to target the MLAs who have sided with Ajit.

Further, the Election Commission of India has begun the process of taking a decision on Ajit faction’s claim on the NCP party and election symbol. These are the indications that the things may start heating up again. Of course, there could be more speculations with Pawar sharing dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function organised by Tilak Smarak Samiti in Pune on August 1 to confer the Lokmanya Tilak Award on the latter. All eyes will be on PM Modi and Pawar. It will also be the first public function where Pawar will be seen with his nephew Ajit since the split.

*Maharashtra leaders in rejig of BJP’s national executive

Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde has been renominated as national general secretary as BJP president J P Nadda has rejigged his executive body. Tawde, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in Bihar, and is also on the panel that is devising the strategy on winning the seats where BJP was second in the last general election, seems to have found his footing at the national level. After he was appointed as national general secretary in 2021, he was given charge of Haryana and later, Bihar. The renomination as general secretary means he will continue to work at the organisational level and is unlikely to return to state politics, at least till general elections in 2024. At the same time, another leader from Maharashtra, Pankaja Munde has been retained as national secretary. The appointment is surprising, considering her outburst against the treatment being given to her in the state. However, it also means the party leadership does not want her to return to state politics and is giving her another opportunity to show her utility for the party. It also means Fadnavis has a free hand in the state where the party has the tall task of retaining most of the 41 Lok Sabha seats that the saffron alliance had won in 2019.

*When they threw their hat in the ring

There is a marked change among senior Congress leaders, especially those who are in the assembly. They seem to have become more aggressive in their attack on the government. It could have something to do with the new leader of opposition post. Following Ajit Pawar’s defection to the ruling side, the post now lies vacant. With Congress becoming the main opposition party, the party will get that post. Apart from the glamour, the Opposition leader gets a rank of a cabinet minister with official vehicle, office and staff. The LoP also automatically becomes a candidate for chief ministership if the party wins power in assembly elections. No wonder, all aspirants are getting vocal in the assembly to show capable they are of leading the attack on the government.

*Gadkari’s candid confession

Speaking at a function of Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad at Nagpur recently, union transport minister Nitin Gadkari said people are smart and they choose their candidates wisely. Getting candid, he also said how they once distributed 1 kg of mutton to voters but it still wasn’t enough. “Once we even distributed mutton, but people still did not vote. I think you have to win the voter’s trust to get elected,” he said amid laughter.