The 'Clock' Is Ticking: Sharad Pawar Under Pressure To Join Nephew Ajit & NDA?

A secret meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar on 12 August sparked confusion in the Maharashtra Opposition.

Sharad Pawar vs Ajit Pawar | Those in Favour Say 'Aye': Does Sharad Pawar Faction Want Him to Join Ajit, NDA, BJP?

(Photo: The Quint)

"I have not been given any offer. There's price rise, and I saw some offers on groceries for 15 August, those are the only offers I know about," said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday, 16 August, responding to the media's queries about being offered a union ministry portfolio by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if the Sharad Pawar joins the National Democratric Alliance (NDA).

The questions stemmed from recent claims of 'under-the-table talks' by Congress leaders, including some as senior as former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and former cabinet minister Vijay Wadettiwar.

As Maharashtra politics continues to reel under instability, speculations are rife of many from the Sharad Pawar faction wanting to switch sides to Ajit Pawar who engineered a vertical split in the NCP and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena govenment in Maharashtra as the deputy chief minister on 2 July.

A secret meeting between the two Pawars on 12 August created confusion in the Opposition, with both Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress expressing their discomfort and posing questions directly to the NCP supremo.

The unrest in the NCP and the MVA can be seen through four key aspects:

The Storm After the 'Secret' Meeting

On 12 August, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar met at the residence of businessman Atul Chordiya in Pune's Koregaon Park. While Sharad Pawar called the meeting a "personal visit", Sule described the purpose of the meeting on Wednesday.

"The Pawars and the Chordiya family have ties even before mine or Ajit dada's birth. Sharad Pawar and Atul Chordiya's fathers were in college together. There is nothing strange or surprising about the Pawar family and the Chordiya family meeting. We have had a very loving relationship for many years. Everyone knows this," Sule claimed.

A day after the meeting, both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress asked Sharad Pawar to clarify his stand.

"As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy," Sharad Pawar said while addressing the media in Solapur, soon after sharing the dias with BJP leader and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur on 13 August.

"What is wrong with meeting my nephew? If a senior person in a family desires to meet another family member, there should not be any issue with that," he added.

'Offer of Union Ministry for Sharad Pawar, CM Post for Ajit': Congress Leaders Claim

However, following the meeting, Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed that Sharad Pawar and Sule have been offered union cabinet berths by the BJP. Chavan, on Wednesday, told The Indian Express that his claims were "unverified."

Former Maharashtra cabinet minister Wadettiwar on Wednesday also claimed that the BJP has put a condition on Ajit Pawar to get the NCP supremo on board if he wants the CM post.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told Ajit Pawar that if he wants to realise his dream of becoming the chief minister, he should get Sharad Pawar on their side. Hence, Ajit Pawar seems to be repeatedly meeting Sharad Pawar and making desperate pleas," Wadettiwar claimed.

However, Sule on Wednesday questioned the basis of the claims being made by the Congress.

"It is still a democracy for us. Every leader of every party has the right to say what he thinks. I was not in the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. So I don't know what was discussed there," Sule said.

"You have to ask them (Congress leaders) about the claims. The statements haven't come from either me or Mr Pawar," she added.

Reacting to Wadettiwar's claims, Sule said that she cannot respond to "hypothetical claims."

"I have received no such offer and neither has anyone had any conversation with me. I have no idea. I am personally in touch with senior Congress leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Gaurav Gogoi but I am not in touch with any of their leaders in Maharashtra," Sule claimed.

The claims of any offers being made were also rejected by Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday. Speking to the media. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said: "Who is Ajit Pawar to make an offer to Sharad Pawar? He is Ajit Pawar because of Sharad Pawar. He is nobody. He won’t dare make any such offer."

'Want Family to Unite, But Some Leaders...': Mood In NCP Factions

Party workers and leaders in both factions are conflicted, sources say.

While there are some who want the Pawar family to unite, there are a few on both sides who want the factions to remain separate for personal gains, some NCP insiders claimed.

"There is a section of leaders in both factions cloe to Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar who might not want the two factions to unite for personal gains. Now that there are factions, some leaders know that they have clout only because of either Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar, and are being called loyalists. But they are only seeing the split as an opportunity to rise politically by not letting the factions unite," said Vaishali Nagawade of chief of NCP women's wing of the Pune unit.

"There are many like me who are loyal followers of the Pawar family and not just one leader in pareticular. We want the family to unite. After coming together, it is upto them to decide whether to stay with the BJP or leave, but the family must stay united," Nagawade added.

Sources said that many in both factions feel that one faction will only end up cutting votes and harming the other if they stay separate, and the party's legacy will be destroyed for good like the Shiv Sena's.

However, sources said that Sharad Pawar is personaly not keen on joining hands with the BJP since it will destroy his credibility in the last leg of his political career.

If Two Factions Unite, What do Sharad Pawar and NCP Get?

Political analysts pointed out that both factions have maintained status quo on staking claim to the party, with 17 August being the last day for both factions to present their case before the Election Commission (EC).

While speculations are also rife of Sharad Pawar faction leaders Jayant Patil and Rajesh Tope being offered cabinet berths in the state government, no further action is expected from the BJP till Sharad Pawar shows any positive signs.

Barring Sule, Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Anil Deshmukh, not many tall leaders are left in the Sharad Pawar faction.

While the NCP supremo could gain sympathy if he stays with the MVA, joining the NDA will also come with some benefits, experts say.

The BJP, meanwhile, is looking to score electoral points in western Maharashtra, first by getting Ajit Pawar onboard and now letting him allegedly pursue Sharad Pawar.

With most opinion polls still showing advantage Sharad Pawar if he stays with the MVA, the BJP may be looking to make the fight a 'grand alliance vs Congress' in the state with Uddhav's Sena only getting significantly weakened with every blow to the MVA.