NCP party workers wish to see me as Deputy Chief Minister, says Ajit Pawar

Pune: Vehemently denying that there was anything brewing between him and former chief minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of opposition in legislative assembly Devendra Fadnavis, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Monday argued that while his supporters and other NCP workers wanted to see him as the next Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a decision in this regard could only be taken by the top leadership of his party.  

Eyebrows were raised in political circles of Maharashtra after Fadnavis was recently seen with Pawar at the wedding ceremony of NCP MLA Sanjay Shinde’s son on Sunday in Madha in Solapur. The two leaders who were seated next to each other, were seen chatting and sharing much banter at the function, just days after the fall of their short-lived government last month.

Speaking at his pocket borough of Baramati, Pawar clarified “the person in charge of making the seating arrangement arranged chairs in such a way that Devendra (Fadnavis) and myself ended up seating side by side. There are no permanent enemies in politics, no opposition and ruling party leaders when we meet face to face at social functions. There is no need to look for a political angle to every meeting”.

Pawar had taken everyone by surprise with sudden ‘rebellion’ when he staged a coup on the morning of November 23 and was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister with Fadnavis taking oath as Chief Minister. After NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s iron fist prevailed and the party failed to split, his nephew resigned as Deputy Chief Minister from the Fadnavis cabinet in less than 80 hours.

Asked to comment on reports of him being reconsidered for the Deputy Chief Minister’s post, which he had held in the earlier Congress-NCP regime, said that while it was the wish of NCP workers to see him as the second-in-command in the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP’s ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ government, the final decision on what post he would get would only be made by the party top leadership. 

Pawar further stated “the people of Baramati have overwhelmed me with a massive mandate in the recent Assembly polls and have always showered their love and affection on me. It is but natural for them to wish that their elected representative gets a major post in the new government…But at the moment, I have a lot of work to do here (in Baramati)… My duty lies in working for the welfare of my constituents”.

When asked about long pending portfolio allocation, the NCP leader remained tight-lipped, merely stating that it was in the realm of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who would hold consultations over the issue. He also categorically refused to comment on the clean chit given him by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) over alleged multi-crore irrigation scam.

Meanwhile, senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said he had no objection whatsoever to Pawar being given the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. “I have no objection to this. I had openly appealed and urged him to return back (when Pawar joined hands with Fadnavis)… However, what post should he be given to him is the right of our party chief Sharad Pawar, who will decide on this matter,” Bhujbal said while speaking in Nashik.

Meanwhile, speaking in Indapur, Fadnavis said that the BJP had been kept out of power by deceitful means but that it would not stay out in the cold for very long. “We shall soon return to power and the entire State will be ours again,” Fadnavis said.