While the Nationalist Congress Party moved disqualification petitions with the Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar against Ajit Pawar and its eight other leaders for joining the NDA government in the state, the party's working president Supriya Sule said the move was “painful” but her relationship with her cousin would remain the same.
Addressing a late night press conference on Sunday, hours after Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra in a surprise move, Sule said she will not mix personal and professional relationships.
“I can never have a fight with my brother… I am boring, steady and not impulsive... Emotional relationships and professional work are two different things. I will never mix the two,” news agency PTI quoted Sule as saying.
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Sule also refused to divulge what transpired at the meeting at 'Devgiri', Ajit Pawar's official residence in Mumbai in the morning where she was also present. Sule, Sharad Pawar's daughter, said what was discussed between her and her brother will remain between them only, but asserted that it was a challenging day like many other days.
“Thoughts and hate are different things, the NCP never had hate inside the party or any misunderstanding. Ajit Pawar had different thoughts and we have different ones. We respect our all MLAs. I always speak with party workers and leaders, I spoke with them yesterday also and tomorrow also I will speak with them,” said the NCP MP.
Supriya Sule's dig at BJP
{{/usCountry}}“Thoughts and hate are different things, the NCP never had hate inside the party or any misunderstanding. Ajit Pawar had different thoughts and we have different ones. We respect our all MLAs. I always speak with party workers and leaders, I spoke with them yesterday also and tomorrow also I will speak with them,” said the NCP MP.
Supriya Sule's dig at BJP
{{/usCountry}}Sule, however, didn't shy away from taking potshots at the BJP saying it welcomed her party leaders despite calling her party corrupt.
“The BJP is 24x7 in election mood...BJP, which called the NCP a corrupt party, are now welcoming our leaders. How? I don't want to comment on who will be the candidates of the BJP. I will concentrate on my work rather than peeking inside others' life...I am always with the NCP and truth, I face these types of challenges every day. This one (Ajit Pawar's revolt) is a new challenge for me,” said Sule.
Hinting at central agency pressure on the NCP leaders, Sule said, “We call them ICE (Income tax, CBI and ED). Most of the time they (central agencies) conduct inquiries of opposition leaders. I never blame those officers who are working there but it was happening from the other side, I call these things ICE.”
Ajit Pawar's move won't impact Opposition's unity: Sule
Ajit Pawar's cousin also said the developments in the party will not impact the Opposition's unity. "Our credibility will only rise after this," she said.
Sule, whose elevation as party working president last month is said to have triggered Ajit Pawar's revolt, said since 2019 when he first joined the short-lived government led by Devendra Fadnavis to 2023, she has matured a lot with the responsibility of the party.