Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in an exclusive interview with India Today on Saturday, claimed that he and the tall leaders in NCP were willing to join the BJP and Shinde government in 2022 during the political crisis in the then ruling MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government, and that there was no pressure from the Enforcement Directorate.
Ajit Pawar also denied accusations from opposition parties regarding his alleged involvement in irrigation scam.
Ajit Pawar's Clarification On Enforcement Directorate Allegations
In the exclusive interview by India Today, Ajit Pawar was asked about the allegation made by the opposition that he had been pressured by the Enforcement Directorate to leave NCP and join the BJP and Shinde Alliance, he sternly denied it. Pawar mentioned that he had written a letter to Sharad Pawar, which was signed by NCP workers including Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, and Anil Deshmukh back in 2022, to join the BJP and Shinde government. Notably, this move was approved by Sharad Pawar, indicating that all the leaders were willing to join BJP even when they were part of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government.
Ajit Pawar who left the NCP from Sharad Pawar's camp to join the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government in July last year, alongside numerous other NCP leaders, created a rift within the party founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999. Soon after, the Election Commission officially recognised Ajit Pawar's faction as the legitimate "NCP," granting them the party's symbol, the 'clock.'
The High Voltage Political Contest For The Baramati Lok Sabha Seat
When asked about the much-awaited contest for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat over allegations were made by the opposition of influencing voters in Baramati against supporting Supriya Sule and Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar denied such claims and said, "I openly challenge anyone with concrete evidence of such pressures to confront me directly." He urged individuals with records of phone conversations to come forward and show him the evidence to support their alleged claim.
The battle lines have been drawn for the battle of Baramati. While NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, announced its decision to field sitting MP Supriya Sule, her cousin and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said his wife Sunetra will be the nominee of the NCP, led by him.
