Sharad Pawar asserts his authority, says he will create new leadership

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he would build new leadership in the party and asserted he gets more energy to work when such situations come up.

Pawar also asserted he was the face of the party for the future as well.

The party founded by Pawar in 1999 suffered a vertical split during the day after his nephew Ajit Pawar broke ranks and joined the Eknath Shinde government as deputy chief minister.

Eight other NCP MLAs, including staunch Sharad Pawar loyalists like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, were made ministers.

Slamming those who left for praising the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pawar said he could not understand what changed in the last four years (since the 2019 Assembly polls).

"Four years ago, when we faced elections, our target was Modi, and we were Modi's target. Now, after opposing (him) for four years, what suddenly happened today? The real thing is they wanted to go as they needed power," he said.

Pawar said he would go to the masses and show that the developments of the day have not been liked by people.

He also made light of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's tweet that the NCP's 'second team' was also ready to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Let us see which team is left now with NCP. Those who wanted to go, they have already gone. Those who did not want to go, they have stayed back. So there is no question of second team or third team," Pawar asserted.

Asserting that people will soon see new teams of the NCP everywhere, Pawar brushed aside suggestions of taking a well-earned rest at his age and said he 'got more energy to work, to create new leadership when such things happen'.

"It is not appropriate to say this, but check the details of those who became ministers today. See how they started, and who ( helped ) them in the start. (I) can create new leadership," he said.

Pawar said he was confident of creating leadership that will think about the state.

Asked whether Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will now take a decision on disqualifying 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, under anti-defection laws, Pawar said soon the tenure of the House will be over so he didn't expect a decision on it.

Asked about who will be the prominent face of the party for the future, he emphatically replied 'Sharad Pawar'.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Pawar said Sunday's development was not a 'googly' but a 'robbery'.

Pawar clarified it was not the decision of the NCP to align with the BJP-Shiv Sena government and said action would be taken against those leaders who violated the party line.

He said the 'credit' for this development goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi because some leaders in NCP became restless days after the PM made a statement about corruption.

Pawar said he did not know what happened at a meeting of NCP leaders which was addressed by Ajit Pawar earlier in the day.

He claimed some people whose names are on the list (of BJP) have called him to inform that they were invited (to Mumbai) and their signatures were taken.

"They said their stand as (MLAS) of NCP is different," he added.

As the political developments unfolded over the day, Pawar said it seems the Prime Minister has 'exonerated' the NCP and all those against whom he had levelled allegations

"I am happy today that he gave cabinet berths to some colleagues from NCP. It shows the allegations against corruption were not factual. I am thankful to the PM for this," Pawar said.

He said some leaders of NCP were nervous about the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and named Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif.

"There was restlessness due to ED cases. After the PM made that statement, the restlessness increased and they (BJP) got the benefit. But the real credit for this so-called success goes to the PM," he said tauntingly.

"Prima facie, this development is the result of the PM's allegations...the kind of action and the use of agencies. We need to see when these people (who took oath) get relief from the ED probe and what sort of understanding was there (between them). I am waiting to know that," the NCP chief said.

Addressing a press conference in Pune, the Pawar senior said, Ajit and other NCP MLAs joining the Shinde government was a robbery.

"...It is not googly, it is a robbery. It is not an easy thing. The allegations levelled by Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) against the party...Now (he) has done an important work of exonerating some of the leaders from those allegations," Pawar said.

The googly reference was given by Pawar while speaking about whether NCP had decided to support BJP in forming a government in 2019.

Pawar had said he had bowled a "googly" to expose BJP's desperation for power after the 2019 polls.

He was replying to a query on whether the surprising move by nine NCP leaders was a game plan of the BJP or a googly that he talked about recently.

Queried on the action he was planning to take against NCP leaders, Pawar said the move by Ajit and other MLAs was not in sync with the party's policy.

"If someone has taken steps that are against the party's policies, then it is not good for the party. The key leaders in the party will sit and take decisions on this," he said.

Pawar said he was not upset with anybody but slammed NCP leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare for 'abandoning' guidelines of the party president and taking a 'wrong path'.

He said that the picture related to the actual stand of NCP leaders, especially members of the legislature, will become clear in the next two to three days.

"The reason I am saying this is because some people whose names are on the list (those who are with BJP ) have called me and told me that they were invited and their signatures were taken but they said that their ( MLAS) stand is different," he said.

The veteran politician said he is receiving support from various corners of the country.

"Before coming here, I received a call from Mamata Banerjee and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and that is why I am not worried about today's incident," he said.

Pawar said he would start reaching out to people to build the party afresh and visit the samadhi of Yashvantrao Chavan, the first chief minister of Maharashtra, in Karad.

"For us, one thing is important now that the state unit chief of the party and the party's national committee, those party colleagues who joined the government...it was not the party's stand," he said.

Putting up a brave front, Pawar said this situation is not new to him.

"After 1980, the party I was representing, had 58 MLAs. Barring six MLAs including me, all others left the party. With the remaining MLAs, I ventured out to reconstruct the party and in the elections, we won 69 seats. Barring two to three MLAs, all those who left us then faced defeat," Pawar recalled.

He said a similar picture will emerge now and it will be his "one-point program" to reconstruct the (party) with the support of the people.

"I have great faith in people and the youth. There was a similar situation ahead of the elections 4 years ago. That time, I reached out to people which increased our tally and we could form a joint government (MVA)," Pawar added.

Queried about Ajit staking a claim to NCP and its poll symbol, Pawar said he has nothing to say if someone is making any kind of claim.

"I have faith in people and they will decide. NCP's real strength is common people and party workers," Pawar said, adding there is a need to reconstruct the party.

Pawar claimed he came to know about his nephew's resignation as the Opposition leader through the media.

"The resignation is tendered before Speaker. He (Ajit) might have submitted it to Speaker," Pawar added.

He said only Chhagan Bhujbal told him before leaving that whatever is going on is not appropriate.

"Bhujbal told me he would apprise me of developments. But later, I learnt that he also took the oath as minister," Pawar added.