E-Paper
‘I listen only to Sharad Pawar’: Sanjay Raut on Ajit Pawar's ‘behaving like NCP spokesperson’ jab
Hectic talk of an imminent split in Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was sparked off by Sanjay Raut’s column in Saamana on Sunday.
Sanjay Raut's latest weekly column in his party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on the power tussle in the Nationalist Congress Party has triggered a war of words between the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar. A day after Ajit Pawar alleged that spokespersons of other parties were behaving like the spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sanjay Raut said he only listens to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Amid reports of Ajit Pawar wanting a fresh political realignment in Maharashtra, Raut, in his weekly column ‘Rokthok’, claimed that Sharad Pawar recently told Uddhav Thackeray that his party would never join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even if anyone takes an individual decision to do so.
Ajit Pawar dismissed the speculation that he and a group of MLAs loyal to him might align with the ruling BJP, saying he would work for his party till he is alive. Without taking Raut's name, Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said spokespersons of other parties are behaving like spokespersons of NCP, and added he would raise this issue whenever there is a party meeting.
“No one knows who has given them this right. You speak about the party of which you are a spokesperson. You speak about your party's mouthpiece. We are very capable of making our stand clear,” Pawar said.
"There is no reason to take our brief. They can put forth respective (party's) views. Our party's spokespersons, leaders at the state, as well as the national level, are capable of explaining the party's stand," he added.
On Wednesday, Raut said, “(Sharad) Pawar saheb can raise questions on my credibility. I listen (only) to Pawar saheb.”
Raut had earlier said that the BJP was conspiring against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with the help of central agencies and he had done no wrong in exposing the BJP.
“When attempts were on to split the Shiv Sena, right from Sharad Pawar to Ajit Pawar, all had stood by us. Now, we have decided to stand by the NCP. What is wrong in it? We all are chowkidars (watchmen) of the MVA, want it to survive and get strengthened; and Ajit Pawar is also part of this process,” Raut said.
(With PTI inputs)
