On June 28, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) conducted its national executive meeting in Delhi. In posters displayed at the meeting venue, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s face was missing, indicating that the party had sidelined him.
It would be the first national executive meeting after the appointment of Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel as the working presidents of the party. The posters at the meeting featured party supremo Sharad Pawar and senior leaders Supriya Sule and Praful Patel. But the face of senior NCP leader and Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar was missing from the posters implying that the party has sidelined him.
These changes in posters came as part of recent appointments made within the party that happened this month on June 10. During the party’s 25th anniversary, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar declared and appointed Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the party’s working presidents. This move indicated that Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule could be the next successor of the NCP.
But Ajit Pawar was not given any positions as a part of this organisational shuffling. As per the reports, a disgruntled section led by Ajit Pawar is planning to leave the party and join the state’s ruling party, BJP.
However, a few days back, Ajit Pawar showed his willingness to step down from the position of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) of the Maharashtra Assembly. He expressed that he wanted to work within the party and wanted to have a new job role assigned to him. He stated, “I have asked the party to relieve me from the post of the LoP. I want to work for the party and fulfil responsibilities given by it”.
Party supremo Sharad Pawar reacted to his nephew’s request; he responded that one person could not make such a decision and that major party leaders would convene to make a decision. He stated, “Key leaders, including him (Ajit), will sit together and they will take a decision on this. Today, everyone in the party has the sentiment to work in the party organisation and he (Ajit) reflected upon the same sentiment”.
Ajit Pawar always showed his dissatisfaction with the NCP leadership through his actions. In 2019, while Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress in Maharashtra were still discussing the alliance, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on November 23, 2019, took oath as CM with NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy. The duo were sworn in at an early morning ceremony, but the government lasted only 80 hours.
Ajit Pawar took this decision back then without the consent of the party members. He always felt sidelined and showed his dissatisfaction in public also.
Last year in September, Ajit Pawar skipped the chance to speak at the NCP’s national convention meeting despite being one of the top leaders in the party. He left midway in front of party supremo Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar left the stage just moments after party leader Jayant Patil was given the chance to speak before him, which sparked rumours of a rift in the party.
Although the NCP leader later clarified that he did not speak in the meeting because it was a national-level meeting. NCP MP Praful Patel had announced on the stage that Ajit Pawar would speak before Sharad Pawar’s concluding remark, but the former deputy Chief Minister was missing from his seat.
Patel later announced that Pawar had excused himself to go to the washroom and would come back for the speech in front of cadres who raised slogans in support of the former Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, NCP MP Supriya Sule was seen convincing Ajit Pawar to return for his speech on the stage.
When Ajit Pawar entered the meeting venue, party veteran Sharad Pawar had already started concluding remarks, after which the former didn’t get any chance to speak.
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