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In another Maha twist, Ajit splits NCP, becomes Dy CM
The surprise alliance between Ajit Pawar and the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has raised questions about the future of the opposition parties in the state. The move has also led to speculation about Sharad Pawar's intentions for the 2024 elections.
That Ajit Pawar was getting ready to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has been known for sometime — yet, when it did happen on Sunday, it still managed to take everyone by surprise.
In a few hours, the Nationalist Congress Party had seemingly changed hands, Maharashtra had one more deputy chief minister, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, one more ally for 2024.
For the grouping-in-the-making of opposition parties that hope to take the fight to the BJP in 2024, Sunday’s developments were a setback. The events also raise serious questions about the future of the non-Ajit Pawar section of the NCP.
In some ways, though, Sunday’s events were only to be expected in a state where, since 2019, stunning somersaults have become the leitmotif of local politics. If it started with the Shiv Sena breaking up with its long-term ally after the 2019 state polls, the latest chapter (the book is far from over) saw Ajit Pawar being sworn in along with eight other NCP leaders.
The NCP split comes exactly a year after the cleaving of the Shiv Sena, and it was executed with similar stealth and precision. At least 37 of the NCP’s 53 MLAs have gone with Ajit Pawar, and more are likely to follow.
Raj Bhavan staff were alerted only a couple of hours before the swearing in and such was the haste that even families of most ministers who took oath did not have time to reach Raj Bhavan for the ceremony. A senior BJP leader said the decision to induct Ajit Pawar in the state cabinet was taken last week by Union home minister Amit Shah in consultation with Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The depletion of both the Shiv Sena and the NCP now raises questions over the effectiveness of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (the Congress is the third wheel in the alliance). While Ajit Pawar has said that the entire party is with him and that the NCP will formally be contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP, Sharad Pawar declared that unlike Uddhav Thackeray, he will not be seeking legal recourse following the split, but would rather go to the people directly. When asked at a press briefing about who would now be the face of the NCP, Sharad Pawar simply raised his hand. The party’s state president and legislative party chief Jayant Patil said late on Sunday night that they have begun exploring legal options against those who have joined the government.
Pawar’s comments lend credence to a theory doing the rounds that his nephew as well as some senior NCP leaders sworn in on Sunday are unlikely to have done anything without his concurrence and that he may well be hedging his bets for 2024, but the elder statesman did seem sincere about reaching out to people. He will start with a meeting with all NCP office bearers at the YB Chavan Centre on July 5. Sharad Pawar is the tallest leader in the party, but Ajit Pawar does have a strong following in the state, although he doesn’t enjoy the national status his uncle does.
Under the anti-defection law, at least two-thirds of the party MLAs need to break away from the original party and merge with another existing party in the Assembly. However, last year, when he split the Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde upended this by claiming that his faction was the original Shiv Sena. Ajit Pawar similarly indicated on Sunday that it is he who represents the real NCP.
“Most of the MLAs and leaders are with us. We, as NCP, decided to join the government to resolve the issues of the people. We will contest all the upcoming elections as NCP on its election symbol — the clock,” Ajit Pawar told the media after being sworn in. He argued that if the party could join hands with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena then it could well partner the BJP as both were considered equally “communal”.
A senior BJP leader disclosed that the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, the state’s former CM and current deputy CM had been trying to get Ajit Pawar to cross over since April. This, he added, was part of the BJP’s Mission 45 to win 45 seats in the state in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Maharashtra with 48 MPs is crucial to the party’s Lok Sabha campaign.
Opposition parties hit out at the BJP, accusing it of resorting to “dirty politics” to remain power.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi extended their support to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
“The BJP’s dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra. This is not a legitimately elected government, but an ED-facilitated power grab. The Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal tweeted.
The BJP has also been worried about Eknath Shinde’s performance as chief minister, and there have been signs that all is not well between him and deputy chief minister Fadnavis, but with the break up in the NCP, the BJP believes it is in a near-unassailable position ahead of the polls. “Western Maharashtra is key to us where the NCP is strong in nine constituencies,” said the BJP leader cited above. This includes Baramati, the Pawar family stronghold, from where Ajit Pawar is the sitting MLA.
After the swearing in Ajit Pawar announced that he had the blessings of all party leaders although Sharad Pawar’s comments contradicted this, if only mildly. The recently-appointed working president of the NCP, Praful Patel, who shared the dais with Ajit Pawar and rebel leader Chhagan Bhujbal, said, “We have taken this decision (to join the government) united as a party and we stand with Ajit Pawar.” He added that he would always the thankful to Sharad Pawar who gave him positions of responsibility from the time he stepped into politics. Patel is expected to be given a portfolio in the Union cabinet when there is a reshuffle.
Delhi has been abuzz with a possible organisational reshuffle of the BJP and a cabinet reshuffle, in preparation for key state elections later this year and the national elections in 2024, and it is likely the party’s central leadership was waiting for the denouement in Maharashtra before announcing those.
Chandarashekhar Bawankule, the state BJP president, said, “NCP MLAs have joined the government reposing faith in Prime Minister Modi and their strengthening the government will help Maharashtra take a leap into the future. We’re happy that two deputy CMs will now work for Maharashtra.”
Political analyst Padmabhushan Deshpande said that on paper the BJP-led coalition looks strong but whether this has worked or not will be seen in the upcoming elections only. “The reaction among the people can be gauged only after the three-party government completes the next new months. A lot will depend upon their performance as a coalition government. On the other hand, both Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar may get sympathy from the people,” Deshpande said.
Chief minister Eknath Shinde who kept a low profile for most of the day, told the media that his formerly double-engine government would now run “like a bullet train”.
