Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Awhad on Saturday said the accusation levelled by a lawyer from the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the party that Sharad Pawar controlled the NCP as if it were his personal domain was like questioning the character of the party’s founder.
His statement comes a day after the Election Commission (EC) met the rival factions of the NCP, led by senior Pawar and his 64-year-old nephew, Ajit Pawar, over their claim to the party’s name and symbol.
It was in July that Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government, thus splitting the party. While Ajit Pawar was made the Deputy Chief Minister, the eight MLAs – including Chhagan Bhujbal and the NCP supremo’s close confidant Dilip Walse-Patil – were inducted as Ministers.
‘Unfortunate stance’
Mr. Awhad said the dissenting group had compelled Mr. Sharad Pawar, who had played a significant role in their political careers, to sit through the EC’s proceedings. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Mr. Sharad Pawar, while senior advocates N.K. Kaul and Maninder Singh represented Mr. Ajit Pawar.
“The opposing group’s lawyer asserted that Mr. Sharad Pawar manages his party undemocratically, treating it as his fiefdom. Making such comments in the pursuit of a political battle is unfortunate and amounts to questioning Mr. Sharad Pawar’s integrity,” he said.
Stating that lawyers always speak what they are told to, the MLA asked: “This is what the breakaway group says about the leader who has given them everything. How dare anyone call him anti-democracy? It is because of him everyone enjoyed power.”
Mr. Awhad said the rival faction was saying that the number of MLAs and the votes they got should be considered in the ‘supremacy battle’. “The Supreme Court has clearly said that a legislative party cannot be termed a political party,” he said.
On June 30 – two days before his rebellion– Mr. Ajit Pawar approached the EC staking claim to the party name as well as symbol. He subsequently declared himself the party president with the support of 40 MLAs. Recently, the Sharad Pawar-led faction had told the EC that there was no dispute in the party, except that a few mischievous individuals had defected from the organisation for their personal ambitions, a reference to the rebel group headed by Ajit Pawar.
