Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday refuted speculations of merger of two factions of NCP after the demise of Ajit Pawar.
When Sharad Pawar was asked whether he would consider becoming a part of the NDA if the two NCP factions merge, he told reporters, “All this is going on your (media) side, there is nothing like that here.”
Kiran Gujar, a member of Vidya Pratishthan and a close aide of the Pawar family, had earlier said that NCP chief Ajit Pawar’s last wish was to unite the two factions of the party.
The NCP and the NCP (SCP) had contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections in alliance, and alliances were also under discussion for the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. Meanwhile, there was speculation that both the factions would unite under the same election symbol before Ajit Pawar died in the plane crash in Baramati.
Meanwhile, while talking to reporters, Sharad Pawar said that he has no information about NCP MP Sunetra Pawar’s name being proposed for the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
He said, “I have no information about this (Sunetra Pawar’s name for the post of Deputy Chief Minister). Her party must have taken the decision. I read in the newspaper today that some people like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatakare have taken initiative in this regard.”
Ajit Pawar, 66, died along with four others in a plane crash on Wednesday, sparking speculation that his wife Sunetra Pawar will take over the vacant deputy chief ministership.
Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said the party has put forward Sunetra Pawar’s name and asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis if the swearing-in ceremony can be held today.
Asked about the haste in taking political decisions so soon after Ajit Pawar’s death, Sharad Pawar indicated that these decisions were being taken by leaders of the grand alliance government in Mumbai.
He said, “If there is any problem in the family, the family stands united. There is no problem in the family… All these discussions are not happening here; they are happening in Mumbai. Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and other senior leaders are involved in these discussions. Whatever is visible, it seems to be the decisions taken by them. I will not comment on it.”
This morning, NCP spokesperson Rupali Patil Thombare said that Sunetra Pawar is going to take oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Saturday.
Speaking to ANI, Rupali Patil Thombare said that party leaders had urged Sunetra Pawar to take a decision on the deputy chief minister’s post and stressed the importance of timing in politics.
Thombare said, “Ajit Dada’s demise was very sad. He is no longer among us. Sunetra Vahini (Sunetra Pawar) is the most saddened of us. She lost her husband suddenly. Today is the fourth day since his demise. We workers have urged the Vahini to forget their sorrow and adopt Ajit Dada’s dreams and working style. For this they have taken a decision today; they had to take it.”
The NCP spokesperson said, “Timing is very important in politics. People will talk. Those who are speaking in his favor today, used to comment on him when he was alive. Vahini is going to take oath as Deputy Chief Minister today.”
