MUMBAI: NCP(SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Thursday alleged that the BJP may be asking the rival NCP, led by his uncle and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, to contest separately in the upcoming state assembly elections in a bid to chip away at the opposition’s votes.
The saffron party is trying to diminish Ajit Pawar’s political importance, he told reporters here.
Rohit, the grand-nephew of NCP (SP) senior leader Sharad Pawar, said the BJP would give Ajit Pawar only 20 of the 288 seats, which could lead to Pawar walking out of the ruling alliance.
“It may be a strategy of the BJP or both the BJP and Ajit Pawar to remove Ajit Pawar. He may contest separately to divide the votes of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, especially the NCP (SP). But the people and MPs of Ajit Pawar’s party are not fools,” he said.
Rohit, MP from Karjat Jamkhed, said the people have shown that they will not accept “vote splitters” in the Lok Sabha elections.
When asked about reports that several legislators from Ajit Pawar’s NCP had met with NCP (SP) Maharashtra chief Jayant Patil inside the state Assembly premises, Rohit reiterated his claim that 18-19 legislators from Ajit’s faction were in contact with Jayant Patil and Sharad Pawar.
“The two leaders will decide who to reinstate in the party,” he added.
On a section of BJP members reportedly criticising the saffron party’s decision to include Ajit Pawar in the ruling alliance during the review meeting in Shirur, Rohit said earlier only BJP leaders used to attack the NCP chief but now even party members have raised their voices against Ajit Pawar.
Published June 27, 2024 16:24 IST
