New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) Maharashtra NCP (Ajit Pawar) President Sunil Tatkare, on Friday, criticised his counterpart and state chief of Sharad Pawar-led NCP Shashikant Shinde’s narrative that former Deputy Chief Minister late Ajit Pawar left the party due to “invisible powers” or “threats”.

He also said that Shashikant Shinde’s write up in his party magazine in this regard was “irrelevant” and “factually incorrect”.

Tatkare issued a stern warning, saying, “If Shinde continues to claim that Ajit Dada made his decisions due to allegations or pressure, I will provide a fitting response in my capacity as the Party President.”

He dismissed Shashikant Shinde’s claim that Ajit Pawar considered his exit a “mistake” and was working to rectify it over the last few months.

He clarified that any proposal or thought regarding a merger between NCP and NCP-SP must be discussed within the party’s core group.

He said that making claims about what was discussed in private meetings after Ajit Pawar’s tragic death is a form of injustice to the late NCP leader himself.

Tatkare emphasised that everyone must maintain a sense of decorum regarding “what to say and when to say it”.

The State NCP Chief expressed his deep displeasure with the timing and intent of Shashikant Shinde’s article titled “A Heartfelt Farewell to Ajit Dada”.

He questioned the motive behind Shashikant Shinde’s writing, asking if he was trying to achieve a hidden political agenda following the tragic accident.

Contrary to Shashikant Shinde’s claims of “coercion”, Tatkare asserted that Ajit Pawar’s decision to align with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was a deliberate and long-term political stance.

“Ajit Pawar had advocated for an alliance with the BJP as far back as 2014, 2016, and 2017. In 2019, Ajit Pawar, who had clearly stated that a BJP-NCP alliance could provide a stable government, never hit his desire to work with the BJP,” he said.

Addressing the specific mention of the February 12 merger date between NCP and NCP-SP, Tatkare asked whether the timing of the monthly magazine’s release was a mere coincidence or a calculated move.

While the article was intended as a tribute to the late NCP President following the accident, Tatkare reiterated his “intense objection” to the portrayal of Ajit Pawar’s political motivations within the text.

Earlier, Tatkare declared that NCP (Ajit Pawar) is a part of NDA and will continue in future too.

When asked about the NCP’s stance on a potential merger, Tatkare responded, “Where does the question of our party’s stance even arise? We are in the NDA. While Dada (Ajit Pawar) was alive, I repeatedly clarified our position — that we took a collective decision to join the NDA under his leadership. That decision stood yesterday, it stands today, and it will remain so in the future. Therefore, someone else needs to provide clarity regarding joining the NDA.”

He reaffirmed that Ajit Pawar had always favoured being in government with the BJP since 2014/2019, and the party remains committed to the NDA.

“As for a merger or anything else… Vahini (Sunetra Pawar) has accepted the responsibility of the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. Our party’s decision was taken unanimously by all Legislative members. Senior leaders, including Praful Patel, myself as State NCP President, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, and all our senior colleagues in the Cabinet, collectively took the stand that she (Sunetra Pawar) must be the leader of the Legislative Party. We made the selection accordingly,” Tatkare said.

–IANS

sj/khz