Ajit Pawar googly hints at another coup in the making

Ajit Pawar’s speech on the 25th foundation day of the NCP has led to political speculations in Maharashtra. His open demand seeking responsibility of the state as well as wanting to be relieved as the Leader of Opposition is being seen as possibly another coup in the making or a planned way of change of leadership at the state level.

“Free me of the responsibility of Leader of Opposition. I want to work for organisational strengthening,” he said at the event as many in the audience hooted, clapped and whistled for him.

Reacting to the development, a senior NCP leader said: “The internal rebellion has only begun now. One never knows what this will lead to. For all you know, Jayant Patil may leave the position. For all you know, NCP might disintegrate.”

However, a leader close to Ajit Pawar said there was no question of a coup. “It shows he has a plan in place. He wants to work solely for the expansion of the party, without any distraction,” he said.

Amid the din, Ajit Pawar’s jibe at several senior leaders did not go unnoticed. He said while there were several leaders who were elected every term, they had not helped strengthen the party in their constituency. “If I want to be the deputy chief minister, I have to get maximum MLAs voted to power from my constituency. There is no alternative. Only making good speeches doesn’t mean anything. The strength of the party has to increase,” he said.

Some believe that the target was Jayant Patil, the current Maharashtra president of NCP, who doesn’t enjoy the support of as many MLAs as Ajit Pawar does.

A leader close to Ajit Pawar surmised that there was probably a plan in place to interchange positions. “Patil might be made the Leader of Opposition and Ajit Pawar might become the state president. There is coordination and communication within the Pawar family, which doesn’t let power get out of its hands,” he said.

A leader said the kind of factionalism experienced within NCP at present might lead to the disintegration of the party which has tasted power several times but has never been able to single-handedly earn power in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar also showed a mirror to his own party.

“In my 25 years of political career, I feel bad about one thing. Mamata Banerjee gets West Bengal on her own steam. Kejriwal gets two states. Sharad Pawar is a bigger leader than all of them. And yet we lack in so many areas. We need to introspect. We need to work harder,” he said.

Speaking about other issues, he drew attention to the communal tension in the state and the rising crimes against women. “In the last 2-3 months, why are there so many riots in Maharashtra? Because some are trying to disturb the social fabric of the state. Its mastermind has to be found out. Crimes against women are on the rise,” he said.

Giving a warning against the upcoming regional powers, he said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi can’t be neglected. “Last time, it was only Vanchit. It is a risk for all those who get elected on the border. BRS has been in touch with several leaders. They keep a keen eye on Maharashtra, keener than the interest they have in their own state,” he said.