Kerala unit supports Sharad Pawar: Hours after Ajit Pawar along with a section of MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra, the Kerala unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) extended its support to Sharad Pawar.
In a surprise move on Sunday afternoon, Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, while eight MLAs from his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took oath as ministers.
The Kerala minister and senior said, “We are part of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Ajit Pawar and others betrayed the party. Those who follow national politics will not be able to justify Ajit Pawar’s decision.” Their actions are motivated by their greed for power.” NCP leader AK Saseendran said.
Saseendran, Forest Minister in the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala, said the state unit of the NCP will stand by the Left Front here.
“The NCP will not take any stand to cooperate with the BJP. This is the opinion of all state units,” he said.
What did Sharad Pawar say?
Meanwhile, in his first press conference after NCP split, Sharad Pawar said that action will be taken against party leaders joining the state government by violating the party line.
He clarified that it was not the NCP’s decision to go with the BJP-Shiv Sena government.
Pawar further said that he would start reaching out to the people to rebuild the party.
“The party’s state unit president and top party functionaries, including the national committee, will hold discussions and take action against colleagues who violate the party line,” he said.
“For us, one thing is important now that the head of the state unit of the party and the head of the national committee of the party, those allies of the party who joined the government. This was not the stand of the party. So those who violated the party line, the party Will decide about action against them. There is a process for that. Action will be taken according to that process and it will be initiated,” Pawar said.
What next for Sharad Pawar?
Last month in June, Pawar had declared his daughter Supriya Sule as the working president of the party, indicating that he is doing succession planning and trying to look into the future of the party. A few weeks prior to the announcement, Pawar had announced his decision to step down as NCP chief, however, he retracted his decision within three days after party workers protested and urged him to continue at the party’s top post.
His decision to step down came as a shock, however, as it was expected that someone like Ajit Pawar or Supriya Sule would be appointed as the party chief. Ajit publicly stated that he wanted a position in the party organization rather than the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, amid reports that he was opposed to the NCP chief’s move to install his daughter Supriya as the party’s working president. Not satisfied. ,
It will be interesting to see whether Sharad Pawar, who is being considered as one of the top leaders of the opposition who are aiming to unite against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, will continue to be a prominent voice among the many leaders who trying to come to power. Apparently to run for the post of Prime Minister in the next general elections.
(with PTI inputs)
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