Troubled by the growing perception that the NCP is friendly with the ruling BJP, former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has announced that his party will not invite any of the BJP leaders including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for functions.
Pawar's announcement assumes significance as just over a month ago, his uncle and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had said that he was very happy that personal equations and politics are always kept separate in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar had made this statement at a function to felicitate NCP state president Sunil Tatkare for completing three decades in public life, an event which was attended by senior BJP ministers, including Chandrakant Patil, the number two man in Fadnavis cabinet, and Girish Bapat.
Similarly, a few weeks ago, Chief Minister Fadnavis had felicitated Sharad Pawar at a public function in Vidarbha for completing five decades in public life.
Ever since NCP offered outside support to Fadnavis government three years ago, when Sena was yet to join the state cabinet, there has been speculation that NCP and BJP are on friendly terms and that the former would not hesitate to support the BJP government again in the event Sena pulls out and the BJP falls short of numbers to prove its majority.
NCP leaders have denied this time and again saying they have no intention of supporting the BJP. They have also explained that the support offered in 2014 was only because the state needed stability and could not afford an immediate election in case Fadnavis fell short of numbers to prove his majority on the floor of the house.
While making the statement, Ajit Pawar said that the tradition in Maharashtra has been to keep politics separate from personal equations. He also said that his party had invited chief minister and other ministers and BJP leaders for functions organised by his party men. But as soon as the event is over people start asking questions. He said that he wanted to put an end to this and hence had decided not to invite the CM or any other minister for functions, even if they are non political.
Former minister and NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik told THE WEEK that Ajit Pawar took the decision to clear the perception regarding NCP's closeness to BJP. “Ever since the days of late Y.B. Chavan, Maharashtra's tradition has never allowed political differences to mix up with personal rapport and equation. However, our leaders realised that the perception was damaging party's image and hence it is a step in that direction,” said Malik.
