Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday alleged that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was being targeted by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and that the saffron party never contacted the latter.
“We never contacted Mr. Pawar and the reports are false. In fact, he is being targeted by the leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi,” he said.
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Last month, there was widespread speculation regarding Mr. Ajit Pawar switching his loyalty outside the NCP, a party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.
Further, Mr. Bawankule called NCP supremo Sharad Pawar’s resignation as party president and subsequent reversal a ‘ nautanki’ and stated that it was all scripted. “I was aware of the ‘game’ in the NCP and the events of the past three days were just a drama. This episode was nothing but a ‘ vagnatya’ [folk drama],” he said on the sidelines of a conclave of BJP’s in-charges of poll booths in Pune.
Also Read | Sharad Pawar’s decision to withdraw resignation influenced by Opposition leaders
He said that Mr. Sharad Pawar could not allow anyone to become the president of the party founded by him. “I strongly believe so... But the pertinent question is how will a big leader like Mr. Sharad Pawar who became president of several cooperative bodies, including Rayat Shikshan Sanstha by altering their constitutions, allow anyone to become the president of the party founded by him?”
The State BJP chief gave a veiled reply when asked whether the BJP had a ‘plan B’ in place anticipating the Supreme Court’s ruling on the dispute between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
“Let the decision come. If the Opposition demands to prove the majority tomorrow, the Shinde-led government will win the majority with more than 184 votes,” he said.
