BJP’s star campaigner and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “batenge toh tege (divided we are falling)” remarks on Tuesday during his campaign in Maharashtra appear to have exposed the rift between ruling allies Mahayuti, and NCP chief Ajit Pawar distanced himself from these statements. saying that the state is committed to social harmony.
NCP has also decided not to hold rallies of UP CM, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the constituencies.
Targeting the Congress of Opposition parties for “confronting each other,” Prime Minister Modi, while addressing rallies in Dhule and Nashik on Friday coined the slogan, “Ek hai toh safe hai (Together, we are safe)”.
To a question from reporters, Ajit Pawar said he did not ask Prime Minister Modi to hold a meeting in his Baramati seat because the fight is “within the family”. Ajit, the sitting MLA, is pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) in the district.
NCP insiders also emphasized the need for the party to develop its own strategy in Mahayuti. “What attracts our colleagues does not help the people we voted for. “Every Assembly constituency has a different transition and the communal agenda will not work for us when our main rival is the NCP(SP),” said the source.
Ajit is facing a a battle for survival in the Assembly elections on November 20. His perceived uneasiness about the UP CM’s remarks stems from the fact that the strong Hindutva approach of his allies – the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde led by the Shiv Sena – could alienate the NCP’s “secular” vote, especially in the Muslim community.
Criticizing Adityanath’s remarks, Ajit said that Maharashtra, following in the footsteps of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Jyotiba Phule, cannot be compared to other states. “Shivaji’s life and teachings were united, and united all communities and classes. People from other states often come to Maharashtra and speak their minds but such speeches are not liked by the people here and are not welcome,” Friday said.
Since his rebellion in July 2023 and his entry into the NDA, Ajit has maintained that Prime Minister Modi’s “development agenda” drew him to the ruling coalition, as the NCP has also made concerted efforts to portray itself as a development-oriented party. . It has often brushed aside the speeches that affected the public by its partners as well as various right-wing organizations.
As part of the Mahayuti, the NCP won 53 seats out of 288, their party will be fighting directly with the NCP (SP) in 41 seats, including 20 in the sugar belt of western Maharashtra, known as. the fort of Pawars. BJP is in the fray for 148 seats while Shinde Sena has fielded candidates for 80 seats.
His friends’ stand of “hard Hindutva” has put Ajit in a position even in the Baramati seat where he is seeking a record ninth term, facing a tough fight against Yugendra Pawar.
The NCP leaders are also doing their best to ensure that their allies refrain from making any comments against Sharad Pawar, Ajit’s uncle, as they feel it would help the NCP (SP) to get sympathy votes for him. Instead, the party wants to focus on its “development” agenda, with Ajit seen aggressively pushing Mahayuti’s flagship program, the Ladki Bahin Yojana, in his campaign.
NCP sources said the decision was taken after Shah, at a BJP event in Pune a few months ago, called Sharad Pawar “the master of corruption who founded the country”. Recently, Mahayuti leader and MLC Sadabhau Khot made allegations of disrespecting the octogenarian because of his facial deformity due to oral cancer.
Shah’s comments sparked outrage among the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and also provoked a reaction from the NCP(SP) chief, who is not known to respond to personal attacks. “It is surprising that the person who was thrown out of the city by the Supreme Court is now the Home Minister of the country,” said Pawar in response to Shah.
Ajit’s cautious approach to following Pawar stems from the fact that the 41 NCP legislators, who defected with him to the NDA, still hold the NCP patriarch in high esteem. “We have a lot of respect for Sharad Pawar. I myself have been associated with him for more than 35 years,” said NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel after the July 2023 defection.
The BJP downplayed Ajit’s criticism Words of Aditynathwho say “such differences” between alliance partners are “natural”. “This does not threaten the coalition and will not interfere with the elections. Unlike Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections are more complicated. What appeals to some people in an area may not be true for others in the same area. Diversity is real and acceptable to people,” said a senior BJP leader.