Lull before storm? Pawar hints Shinde may chart a new path
2
3
Nagpur:
NCP
founder
Sharad Pawar
on Saturday hinted that Maharashtra deputy chief minister
Eknath Shinde
might be preparing for a big political move. Responding to a media query on Shinde's double-header trips to Delhi and his meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah, Pawar did not rule out the possibility of friction within the ruling Mahayuti comprising
BJP
, Shinde-Sena and NCP (Ajit).
"We all know Shinde Saheb very well. He has a habit of keeping quiet. What path he chooses in future, will be known to us very soon," said Pawar. The comment on Shinde's sudden silence was a reference to the surprise midnight rebellion which he engineered in the united Shiv Sena. On Saturday, Pawar hinted Shinde's trips to Delhi could be the proverbial 'lull before the storm'.
When asked if anyone from NCP(Ajit) had contacted him for 'ghar wapsi', Pawar said "no signals" have been sent by anyone.
On the possibility of merger of NCPs, Pawar effectively denied it with a short answer — "We work under the NCP name and many people are with us. But none of us can ever think of aligning with BJP". Asked about speculation of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray coming together for local body polls, Pawar said there was no official discussion within Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on the issue.
On a possible alliance between Thackeray brothers, Pawar said, "There are three elections ahead of us — municipal corporation, zilla parishad and nagar panchayat elections.
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But till now we have not had any meeting on polls."
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Pawar also ridiculed BJP's attack on Uddhav Thackeray, over occupying the 'back bench' in Delhi during Rahul Gandhi's presentation on voter fraud. Many saffron leaders had pointed out that as part of the INDIA bloc, Uddhav was made to sit in the last row, whereas he was always given equal standing as an ally when he was with BJP.
Pawar said, "I was there with Uddhav and other senior leaders. When the presentation started, we all shifted towards the rear. It's just like going to a cinema where you want to be far away from the screen to get a better view. But I saw so many things were being written about this seating position, even though nothing of that sort happened."
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