Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday refuted allegations made by the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction that Ajit Pawar’s rebel NCP group had joined the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena government to escape action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other Central probe agencies.
Speaking in Mumbai, Mr. Fadnavis observed that it was Mr. Sharad Pawar himself who had reportedly held parleys with the BJP in 2017 and 2019 and that the NCP patriarch had allegedly expressed willingness at the time to ally with the saffron party.
“In 2019, Mr. Sharad Pawar had held parleys with us and had expressed willingness to come with the BJP. Was he afraid of any probe by agencies at the time? In 2017, too, he had had discussions with us. Was he or the NCP leadership under ED pressure the time? Sharad Pawar knows very well why people from his party have left him,” said Mr. Fadnavis.
