Mumbai: Challenging his uncle and the president of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said that he is the national president of the party. Ajit also said that he (Sharad Pawar) had chance to become CM twice, yet he missed it.
Amid arguments and counter-arguments, this is the first time Ajit Pawar has asserted his position. Besides, his faction has already stopped using Sharad Pawar’s images for publicity.
Tatkare backs Ajit Pawar
The conflict within the NCP has reached the Election Commission. While speaking about it in his home town Kolhapur, medical education minister Hasan Mushrif had said that all the 53 MLAs of the party had given a letter to Sharad Pawar about joining hands with the BJP. Replying to the claim during his recent rally at Kolhapur Sharad Pawar had said that the letter and discussion didn't mean a decision was made. He had also said that as the national president, he would take the final decision on such issues. Refuting the claim, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare said that Ajit Pawar is the national president of the party. When asked about it at a press conference on Monday, Ajit Pawar asserted that Tatkare was correct and that he is the national president of the NCP.
"We have declared Ajit Pawar as our national president after due consideration to all aspects, and hence we feel the Election Commission will rule in our favour," Tatkare has said.
Ajit Pawar was declared national president of the party by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare at the press conference addressed by the leaders who decided to join the government along with Ajit Pawar on July 2. However, Ajit Pawar has never asserted the position till date. He did that today as he addressed a press conference at Pune.
Sharad Pawar warns of severe protests
Meanwhile, the NCP under Sharad Pawar warned of severe protests after senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal lashed out at Sharad Pawar during the Kolhapur Rally. When asked about it, Ajit Pawar said, "Actually I didn't listen to the speech properly during the rally. I came to know about the controversy afterwards through social media. However, I'm of the opinion that one should make the stand clear while in politics and avoid hurting others' sentiments while doing so."
