E-Paper
Tie-up of NCP factions to benefit both parties: Ajit Pawar to HT
In an interview with HT, Pawar remains non-committal over any future alliance or maybe even a merger.
Two-and-a-half years after Ajit Pawar decided to split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, there are now strong speculations about a reunion. In this poll season, Ajit Pawar has taken the help of rival NCP (SP) faction to counter the ruling ally, BJP, in the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation elections. In an interview with HT, the straight-talking leader, 66, remains non-committal over any future alliance or maybe even a merger, but does admit that this would benefit both parties and offers a telling, “Nobody is a permanent friend or foe in politics”.
Edited excerpts:
How has the response been to the NCP in Pune?
I have observed a significant difference between the response to the road shows during the Lok Sabha elections and this election. This time, people are actively responding to us with enthusiasm. This was missing earlier.
Is the alliance with NCP (SP) the reason behind this change?
It is likely. Supporters of Saheb (NCP-SP president and his uncle Sharad Pawar) and those who believe in me are now coming together. This unity will benefit candidates from both parties.
Has the bitterness between workers of the two NCP factions ended?
The fact is that the alliance between NCP and NCP (SP) happened because of the party workers. They insisted on us coming together. After that, the leaders from both the sides sat down and discussed seat-sharing, and made the announcement.
Who initiated the alliance talks?
After workers from both sides raised the demand, I spoke to senior leaders, MLAs, and MPs from NCP (SP) as well as from my party.
Will this alliance continue in the future?
We haven’t given it much thought yet but such developments will help in reducing bitterness. For example, when I speak positively about Saheb, the same will be reciprocated from the other side.
Is there a possibility of a merger?
There have been no discussions on those lines. All I can say at the moment is that there are no permanent friends or foes in politics.
This can be interpreted in many ways.
You are free to interpret it as you wish.
What is your personal view on the merger?
I follow the ideology of Yashwantrao Chavan (first chief minister of Maharashtra), who believed that positive politics is always beneficial.
Sharad Pawar had once said that political parties will need to merge due to limited political space in Maharashtra
That decision depends entirely on the leadership of the respective parties. No one is going to advise anyone on such matters.
Has any decision been taken on the alliance regarding the zila parishad elections?
We will do whatever the party workers want. The decision will be taken by local leaders. It was they who first took the decision on alliances during the municipal council elections. For us, party workers are most important, we are nothing without them. Since local polls are directly related to them, we are trying to give them maximum representation. We haven’t given the ZP polls much thought yet. We will think about it after the civic elections.
What are your expectations from the Pune municipal elections?
I believe our seat tally will improve this time. Before the campaign started, the people were unaware of the corporation’s poor financial health. Loans are required for new projects and bills remain unpaid and there are several other issues. However, I am expecting a better position in the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation.
Why are you not contesting the civic polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad with the BJP?
The BJP is trying to expand its party and I am doing the same with my party. There is no match-fixing or adjustment.
Who decided to contest separately?
It was the BJP’s decision. They believed that since they had won many seats, there was no need to leave them for alliance partners. They also backed out of alliance talks with Eknath Shinde at the last moment. Otherwise, both NCP factions would have aligned with the Shiv Sena for both municipal corporations. However, we have teamed up for two wards in Pune.
The past few weeks saw a bitter war of words between you and BJP leaders. For the first time, BJP leaders have openly threatened you over the irrigation scam. Won’t this affect your alliance?
Allegations and counter-allegations are common during poll campaigns and they are limited to that period only. If you remember, (then undivided) Shiv Sena and BJP were involved in a bitter campaign against each other during the BMC and Thane elections (in 2017), but decided to join hands after the poll results.
As finance minister, would you also like to elaborate on the fiscal health of the state?
Maharashtra is currently facing financial challenges and our focus will be on improving the situation in the upcoming budget.
