These declarations from the NCP camp have left many in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) puzzled.
Mumbai: The scheduled meeting of the India Bloc in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 has raised concerns following Sharad Pawar’s statements favouring his nephew Ajit Pawar. Pawar Sr’s daughter and MP Supriya Sule stated on Thursday that there is no split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and her father endorsed this statement. These declarations from the NCP camp have left many in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) puzzled.
President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), Nana Patole, questioned on Saturday whether Ajit Pawar was undergoing a “ghar wapsi” (homecoming) if there is indeed no split in the NCP.
A senior Congress leader raised the point that if there is no division in the NCP, how can the Ajit Pawar camp be part of the BJP-led government while his uncle portrays himself as an opposition leader? Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders express deep dissatisfaction with Sharad Pawar’s actions. “Pawar saheb should decide whether he stands with the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP or with India Bloc,” a Sena (UBT) MP commented. “Sharad Pawar should cease treating the NCP’s division as a family matter,” he added.
The third conclave of India Bloc leaders is scheduled at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kalina. Previous meetings took place in Patna and Bengaluru. Although a coordination committee within the MVA has been established to organize the two-day event, the majority of the work is being handled by the Shiv Sena (UBT). Distinguished figures from the India Block, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, Lalu Prasad of the RJD, Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, and M. K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu, are expected to participate in the discussions. Opposition parties are endeavoring to form a significant anti-BJP alliance before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Nevertheless, the Pawar factor is causing notable unease within their ranks.
Pawar Sr. is known to maintain close ties with the controversial industrialist Gautam Adani, whose proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well-documented.
Source : The Free Press Journal
