Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 17: The clout the veteran leader Sharad Pawar has enjoyed in the Maharashtra politics which was clouded by the split in his Nationalist Congress Party engineers by his own nephew and his once most trusted lieutenant Ajit Pawar, seems to be returning back to him.
Unable to resolve the disputes over conflicting demands of the Marathas and OBC communities, the Mahayuti government led by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde sent an emissary to Mr Pawar seeking his intervention in breaking the impasse over the issue of reservation for Maratha and OBC communities.
After the party’s impressive show in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in which his faction won eight of the 10 seats it contested, compared to a single victory by the Ajit Pawar faction, a return journey from the Ajit Pawar faction to the original NCP has also started.
On Wednesday, more than 20 leaders and office bearers of the NCP from Pimpri-Chinchwad region, an area of influence of Mr Ajit Pawar, joined the NCP (SP) faction giving a jolt to the nephew ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections due later this year. Chief among those switching sides was NCP leader Ajit Gavhane, the party’s Pimpri-Chinchwad president who was being touted as a dynamic face of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the cash-rich township ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election.
Commenting on his erstwhile party colleague and presently minister in the Shinde cabinet Chhagan Bhujbal’s meeting with him earlier this week, the NCP (SP) chief said on Wednesday those in power now wanted him to help bring peace in the state.
One of the biggest OBC leaders in Maharashtra, Bhujbal, who is against the inclusion of Marathas in the Kunbi (OBC) category, met Sharad Pawar on Monday asking him to defuse the tension in the state.
“State minister Chhagan Bhujbal met me requesting for intervention to find a solution to the tension within the communities protesting for reservation while saying there will be an increase in differences in two communities in the state if the issue is not resolved,” said Pawar. “Bhujbal came especially to meet me and waited for an hour saying he would not leave without meeting. He told me that a few things have to be done in the interest of the state. If things have to be corrected then you should be part of it,” Pawar added.
Pawar also accused the Maharashtra Government of keeping the Opposition in the dark over what conspired during their meetings with the Maratha and OBC protesters demanding reservation. Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadanavis and Ajit Pawar, minister Chhagan Bhujbal and their colleagues had met the Maratha and OBC leaders over the issue on July 9.
“In fact, it was the statements made by the leaders of the ruling alliance that heightened the differences between the communities. If a solution has to be brought out then those in power should take a sensible stand. It can’t be seen,” he said.
“We didn’t know what conspired in the meeting. Now, for peace, Bhujbal has approached me. I have told them to disclose the commitment made to Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil and how many of them have been fulfilled or will be. I also asked them to share the commitment made to retain the OBC interest. We will definitely forget the past and join them to bring in peace.”
On the Opposition not participating in the meeting called by the government on the reservation issue, Pawar said there were two reasons he or his party’s leaders stayed away. In fact, Bhujbal had criticised Pawar at a public rally in Baramati over the weekend for his absence at an all-party meeting convened by the state government to address concerns regarding the Maratha reservation.
“This meeting was called by the chief minister but it came to our notice CM and his colleagues had gone to Jalna to meet those on hunger strike including Jarange-Patil. The hunger strike was called by protesters after that interaction. Thereafter, there was a common programme of Jarange-Patil and CM which means there was some dialogue between them that we were not aware of. State Government ministers went to the hunger strike of the OBC leaders, but we don’t know what they interacted about,” he said.
“The ruling parties were talking to both Jarange-Patil and the OBC leader and then making big statements later. The proposals and dialogue are not known by the public. So, we decided that unless we get to know what commitment the government has made to Jarange-Patil and the OBC leaders, we need not participate,” said the veteran politician.
Now, those in the government are insisting the Opposition give its opinion, Pawar said. “They are ruling, the power to make decisions is with them, and the dialogue is done by them. And the Opposition should first give their opinion based on which they will take a decision. It is not a proper sensible stand of the government,” Mr Pawar said.
