The frequent meetings between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is tarnishing the image of the NCP chief. Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) claimed this on Monday. Shiv Sena’s (UBT) ‘Saamana’ has said in an editorial that it is interesting to see Ajit Pawar’s frequent meetings with Sharad Pawar (his uncle) and the NCP chief is also not shying away from it. The editorial said, “It is feared that BJP’s ‘Chanakya’ is trying to create confusion by sending Ajit to meet Sharad Pawar. However, such meetings are tarnishing the image of Sharad Pawar and this is not good.”
The remarks come two days after a secret meeting between Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar at a businessman’s residence in Pune. This meeting between Ajit and Sharad Pawar has intensified political activities. Ajit Pawar led the rebel MLAs of NCP and joined the Shiv Seva-BJP government in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar, chief of the NCP, an ally of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress in the state, on Sunday said that his party will not go with the BJP. However, some of his well-wishers are trying to pacify him. He also said that if his nephew Ajit Pawar meets him then what is wrong in it.
The editorial published in Saamana said, “Creating confusion on a daily basis is now beyond people’s understanding. The public has now become apathetic to this day-to-day game.” According to the editorial, Congress state unit president Nana Patole termed the meeting between Ajit and Sharad Pawar as interesting. The Shiv Sena (UBT) said, “We would like to say that Ajit Pawar’s decision to join hands with the BJP in the Maharashtra government has become the biggest joke ever played on the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction.”
