Uddhav: Instead of grinding grains in jail, Ajit Pawar is grinding BJP in Pune

The former chief minister was speaking at his home Matoshree in Bandra on the occasion of Pimpri-Chinchwad BJP chief Eknath Pawar’s defection to Sena (UBT). Pawar is known as a close aide of union minister Nitin Gadkari and has felt sidelined in the party for some time

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday took a sarcastic swipe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as he claimed that outsiders, like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who joined the party are given a red carpet welcome and BJP loyalists are sidelined within the party.

Uddhav: Instead of grinding grains in jail, Ajit Pawar is grinding BJP in Pune

The former chief minister was speaking at his home Matoshree in Bandra on the occasion of Pimpri-Chinchwad BJP chief Eknath Pawar’s defection to Sena (UBT). Pawar is known as a close aide of union minister Nitin Gadkari and has felt sidelined in the party for some time.

Uddhav gave an example of how the rising dominance of Ajit Pawar, who joined the BJP-Sena government in July, is unsettling the BJP loyalists in Pune, who seem helpless before dada.

“BJP leaders once claimed they would send Ajit Pawar to jail to grind the grains (as part of a punishment in alleged corruption cases) today, he will grind the BJP leaders in Pune,” said Thackeray.

Due to the growing influence of MLA Mahesh Landge who was earlier associated with NCP and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Eknath left BJP to join Sena (UBT). Thackeray appointed him as an organiser of the Nanded district and also asked him to work in Pimpri-Chinchwad to strengthen the party’s presence in the city.

“We do not let Maharashtra be the state of people who surrender. I will again ask the BJP loyalists what they were working for. The people from other parties are joining hands with BJP and they seem to be enjoying the power but the loyalists are being sidelined in their own party for the outsiders,” said Thackeray while welcoming Pawar.

Thackeray and his party leaders were cornering the BJP for some days over the treatment given to loyalists and the red carpet for outsiders. Sushma Andhare in Sena (UBT)’s Dussehra rally on Tuesday criticised the BJP leader and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for sidelining the party leaders Vinod Tawade, Pankaja Munde and Eknath Khadse and giving more powers to outsiders who joined them.