Ajit Pawar says alliance with NCP-SP for local polls won’t affect Maharashtra govt
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar dismisses reports of a political rift, says NCP–NCP-SP local poll tie-up will not impact Mahayuti
Nationalist Congress Party Chief, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday (January 13) dismissed any possibility of his party’s alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), the faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar for the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad local body election, affecting the state-level Mahayuti alliance and the Maharashtra government.
‘Alliance to curb division of votes’
Speaking to ANI, the NCP chief further stated that the decision to join forces with the NCP-SP was taken as the workers of both parties were aware that if the two contested the elections separately, it would result in division of votes.
“It was because of the efforts of the workers that a joint election strategy was decided upon in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The workers knew that if they contested against each other, the votes would be split. That was something they wanted to avoid at all costs. The workers wanted to win the election,” Ajit Pawar told ANI.
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“Some people from both parties tried to find a solution. Initially, a solution wasn't found, but then some incorrect statements and news reports circulated, claiming that Ajit Pawar was saying that they should only use the clock symbol. I never said that,” he added.
Defending the decision to tie up with the NCP-SP, the Deputy Chief Minister further stated that the alliance would ensure the consolidation of votes, maximising the chances of electoral success.
On alliance partners contesting separately
Ajit Pawar recalled that while the NCP and the Congress had contested the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together, both parties traditionally chose to fight local body polls separately. He said a similar pattern had also existed between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in the past.
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“Since I've been in politics, in all the elections we've fought since 1999, we had an alliance with the Congress. We were working together in the Lok Sabha, in Parliament, and fighting elections together. We were fighting on our respective symbols. The same thing happened in the Assembly elections. But in local body elections, to support and empower our respective party workers, we always fought against each other,” Pawar told ANI.
“The same thing happened with the BJP and Shiv Sena. In the last 2017 elections in Mumbai and Thane, they were fighting against each other. So, there's no need to think that something very different is happening here,” he added.
‘Local poll results won’t affect state govt’
Pawar also said that despite the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena contesting against each other in local body elections, all three parties were clear that the outcome of these polls would not affect the functioning of the Maharashtra government even after the results are declared on January 16.
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When asked about estranged family members coming together for the local body polls, Pawar said he viewed the development positively, referring to the Thackerays in Mumbai and the Pawars in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. He said the decision to contest together was driven by party workers who wanted to avoid a split in votes.
“I see it in a good light. This is very good. It is because of the karyakartas that we have decided to fight elections together (the two NCP factions), because if we fight elections separately, then the votes will be divided, which will not happen. The karyakartas want win elections,” he said, adding that initial talks between party leaders did not yield a consensus.
‘Shiv Sena came too late’
He said the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde had approached him too late for a tie-up. “The talks started when my karyakartas told us… They came later, but by that time the time was up, forms had been filled,” he said.
On the future of the NCP-NCP alliance, Pawar said no decision had been taken. “We have not thought anything about this,” he said, adding that discussions would take place after polling on January 15. Vote counting is scheduled for January 16.