Bhujbal attacks Sharad Pawar, says rebellion took place in NCP chief's family
Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who recently joined the government, raised doubts about the intention behind Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar’s rally in Nashik the previous day.
Bhujbal on Sunday (July 9) asserted that the internal dissent within the party stemmed from issues within Pawar’s own family rather than being a result of his interference.
Pawar had held a rally in Nashik’s Yeola, the Assembly constituency of Bhujbal, on Saturday (July 8) and had told the gathering he erred in trusting some people, an apparent swipe at the latter.
Bhujbal, along with eight NCP colleagues, including Ajit Pawar, had joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2 after splitting from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
Also Read: Maharashtra: After NCP split, Thackeray waits to see ‘how BJP handles new riff-raff’
“Sharad Pawar saheb, why did you come to Yeola? I could not understand it. I am not responsible for the rebellion. It happened in your family,” Bhujbal said at a press conference here.
Hitting out further, Bhujbal said he was an Other Backward Classes leader who holds rallies and gives speeches and, therefore, Sharad Pawar, popularly referred to as Maratha strongman, may have chosen his backyard Yeola for the gathering.
“Pawar saheb thinks I have created this rebellion but I have nothing to do with it. It has happened in his family. Praful Patel is his colleague in Delhi, Ajit Pawar is his family and Dilip Walse-Patil is his close aide,” Bhujbal said.
Bhujbal said he felt “sad” that Pawar came to Yeola but did not go to a rally that was organised by the NCP in Walse Patil’s constituency.
Attacking Pawar further, he said, “Pawar saheb said in the rally he apologises to the people as giving me the candidature was a mistake. However, due to me, development took place in Yeola. Therefore, there is no question of apologising.”
In how many places will you apologise, Bhujbal asked Pawar.
If the people in Nashik district love Sharad Pawar, how come both NCP candidates lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Bhujbal asked.
(With agency inputs)
