Maharashtra politics: And they do it again! This time in daylight

Dy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, at Raj Bhavan, on Sunday (left) CM Shinde. Pic/Shadab Khan

On a morning in 2019, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis took oath with an ambition of running a joint government. Lacking the support of NCP boss Sharad Pawar, they quit their posts within three days but never gave up on their dream. On Sunday, Pawar's estranged nephew jumped ship once again along with eight NCP MLAs, who were all quickly inducted into the Shinde Sena-BJP government.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) becomes the second party in the state that the BJP has managed to split in less than a year. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had struck in June 2022 first, splitting the Shiv Sena led by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray by welcoming Eknath Shinde and 40 MLAs. This collapsed the coalition government of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress. Thackeray had to quit and Shinde was made the CM and Devendra Fadnavis became his deputy.

This time around, political stalwart Sharad Pawar's estranged nephew succeeded in his second effort of forging a pact with the BJP. Ajit's swearing-in on a winter morning of 2019 had failed because of lack of support from Sharad Pawar, who recently said that he had backed out deliberately to expose the BJP's hunger for power.

Ajit Pawar and eight NCP MLAs joined the Shinde Sena-BJP government on Sunday. Pic/Shadab Khan

The afternoon of this monsoon was different in a sense that Ajit managed to have eight MLAs take oath with him. Back in 2019, only he and Fadnavis had been sworn in, and the duo couldn't expand the cabinet or realise their dream of running a joint government. They resigned within three days, but none of them never really abandoned that dream. When it was said that Ajit would leave the MVA, the BJP worked secretly on Shinde and got him to defect first. Ajit and company made it a tripartite arrangement on Sunday.

Speculation about this departure was rife for some months. Ajit's disenchantment was visible when his uncle had recently resigned as the NCP's national chief to stall a possible crack in the party. Recently, Ajit had demanded a position in the party organisation after his cousin Supriya Sule was given the NCP's second command, along with Praful Patel (who ended up supporting Ajit's rebellion). The BJP leadership, the high command in New Delhi and deputy CM Fadnavis kept tapping the nephew's sentiments that were shared by a large group of NCP legislators, especially those who had been longing to be with the BJP ever since the failed coup in 2019.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil were administered the oath of office by Governor Ramesh Bais. Ajit did not confirm the number of MLAs supporting him, but said that a "majority of them" was with him, and some of them would join the council of ministers in the near future.

‘We're the NCP'

Ajit denied that the party has split. "I have joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government as a member of the NCP. Majority prevails in democracy [and the party]. We were talking about it [with MLAs and MPs] for many days and we felt that we should give development the top priority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading the country and we want to support him," he told the media persons after taking oath as the deputy CM.

Flanked by NCP's national working president Praful Patel and cabinet colleague Chhagan Bhujbal, he said there was nothing wrong in joining hands with the BJP, if the party had allied with the Shiv Sena in 2019. He said even in Nagaland, the NCP formed an alliance with the BJP.

He resolved that "his NCP" would fight the next Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections with the BJP and other allies. "We will fight all elections on NCP's official symbol of the clock," he said, making it appear like he was replicating the Shinde versus Thackeray battle that continues in the legislature, the Supreme Court and in the streets even now. However, Ajit and his ilk did not spew venom against their ‘former' leaders.

‘PM, ED scare worked'

Instead of being stressed, Sharad Pawar appeared calm about his nephew's rebellion. He exuded confidence in rebuilding the party, throwing a challenge at the ‘quitters' to survive the wrath of the public.

He said the anti-party action was fallout of PM Modi's recent statement about the corrupt NCP netas. "The PM's statement discomfited them. They must have thought that the ED [Enforcement Directorate] cases would increase [against them]. The credit for this action goes solely to the PM," he said. Later in the day, in a veiled caution, Sharad Pawar said that in the next two to three days the people would know the exact number of MLAs that continue to stick with Ajit. In 2019, the NCP boss had managed to convince all pro-Ajit MLAs to return.

However, he has asked the ‘unwilling' MLAs who have supposedly sided with him this time to pledge their loyalty to the original NCP, not by talking to him over the phone, but by declaring their stand publically. He said that action will be taken against the MLAs for anti-party activities. He marked Praful Patel (national working president) and Sunil Tatkare (national general secretary) in particular. "As the national president, I appointed them recently. Such an act was not expected from them. They should quit voluntarily, or else I will have to use my discretion," Sharad Pawar said.

‘Won't go to court'

Unlike the Sena factions led by Thackeray and Shinde, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP will not move the court against the rebels. "We will go to the people. I have strong faith in the people of Maharashtra, especially the youth. I will start rebuilding the party from tomorrow itself," he said, adding that such rebellions were not unfamiliar to him. "I have seen it and even faced it. In fact, such crises make me more enthusiastic. I go out with a renewed vigour," he said.

Pawar's trusted aide Jitendra Awhad replaced Ajit as the leader of Opposition in the Assembly. He was also made chief whip with immediate effect. "My whip will be applicable and mandatory for them to act on (rebels)," said Awhad, ahead of the state legislature's monsoon session that is slated to begin on July 17.

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No of NCP MLAs who took oath with Ajit Pawar