Uncle worked out govt formation plan with Amit Shah, but changed stand later, claims Ajit Pawar
Speaking on the early morning swearing-in ceremony of 2019, Ajit Pawar claimed that he along with Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel held five to six meetings with Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis after the assembly polls results
Pune: Speaking for the first time in detail on the early morning swearing-in ceremony of 2019, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar claimed that he along with Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel held five to six meetings with Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis at a residence of India’s biggest industrialist after the assembly polls results.
During the meetings, Ajit said all the details about government formation, including how many ministries and portfolios the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will get was worked out.
Even as everything was decided, upon arriving at Mumbai later, Sharad Pawar changed his stand and said the party has decided to go with Shiv Sena, said Ajit while speaking in Indapur at a public meeting of BJP workers on Friday.
“During the meetings attended by Amit Shah, Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Fadnavis and I, we were informed about who will get guardian ministership of 35 districts, cabinet ministership and what portfolio. However, after arriving at Mumbai, the track of discussion changed,” said Ajit.
The deputy chief minister said he questioned his uncle about how can the party change the stand when discussions were at an advanced stage with several leaders, including Amit Shah and India’s top industrialist being witness to it.
According to Ajit, he later told the BJP leadership that he is firm on his word, and it was decided to take the oath the next day at 8 am.
“When I questioned how can we do this, he said the decision has been changed,” said Ajit.
Sharad Pawar refuted the charges.
“I had never given approval to go with the BJP. In future too, I will never give my consent for it,” the veteran leader said.
With the Shiv Sena walking out of its alliance with the BJP after the assembly polls in 2019, and Uddhav Thackeray trying to cobble together an alliance with others, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar of the NCP took oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister at 8 am on November 23, 2019. Unable to get other NCP leaders to rally behind him, Ajit Pawar, returned to the fold three days later.
On June 2023, Sharad Pawar had for the first time accepted he met Fadnavis and discussed government formation in 2019, but that he changed his stance and “bowled a googly” a few days before the controversial oath-taking ceremony. Pawar senior’s response was to the claim made by Fadnavis then saying that the idea of an alliance in 2019 began with discussions with the NCP chief who played the “double game”.
