Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS) Tensions within the Mahayuti alliance have escalated as senior BJP leaders, including state President Ravindra Chavan and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, launched a coordinated verbal offensive against Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar.
The confrontation signals a strategic move by the BJP to corner Dy CM Pawar ahead of the high-stakes Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections, where he is pitted against the BJP. In a provocative statement, Ajit Pawar remarked that he is currently part of a government alongside those who once accused him of a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam. This gave the BJP ammunition to target him.
The friction originated from the decision regarding the upcoming municipal elections. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis previously announced that the Mahayuti alliance would not contest the Pune polls together, forcing Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP to fight independently. Consequently, Ajit Pawar formed a local alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The conflict intensified after the BJP criticised Ajit Pawar for fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds. Visibly irked by these allegations, Ajit Pawar retaliated by targeting Union Minister of State Muralidhar Mohol and revisiting past controversies.
Political analysts suggest that by raising the irrigation scam issue, Dy CM Pawar may have inadvertently "shot himself in the foot", providing the BJP with some fresh ammunition.
The BJP leadership responded aggressively to these comments. The BJP state president, Ravindra Chavan, remarked bluntly that the party "regrets taking Ajit Pawar along".
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule warned Pawar that "if the pages of history are turned, Ajit Pawar will be left speechless", adding that such statements should have been avoided. He also reminded Dy CM Pawar that the irrigation scam case is still pending in the court.
Despite his reputation for being outspoken, Ajit Pawar has notably refrained from responding to the harsh criticisms levelled by the BJP's top brass. He clarified that he criticised the irregularities in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation during the BJP rule. His clarification is being interpreted as a necessity for maintaining the stability of the state government.
Meanwhile, senior Congress legislator President Nana Patole dismissed the infighting in Mahayuti partners as "Nura Kushti (a fixed wrestling match)", suggesting it is a tactical drama.
However, the BJP appears to be sending a clear message to Ajit Pawar that while they are partners in the state government, the BJP remains the dominant force, and Pawar’s past vulnerabilities remain a potent political tool.
(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)
--IANS
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