The second NCP team under the leadership of Chief Sharad Pawar might soon join BJP, says Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray.
Expressing his opinion on the ongoing crisis in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) claimed, the chaos in the NCP party is a scripted act and any time the second NCP team headed by Sharad Pawar would join the ruling BJP government, on July 26.
Source: Hindustan Times
Addressing media persons at Pune, Raj Thackeray said, “ A faction of NCP under Ajit Pawar has already entered the ruling government joining with BJP. The other team under Sharad Pawar can be expected to join BJP any time soon. This is all a scripted thing. Both of them are playing their cards right.”
Acknowledging the issue, he said that both factions of the NCP are trying to fool the public of Maharashtra and they cannot do it for a long time. He stated that all the hoardings of Ajit Pawar still used the image of Sharad Pawar despite the former rebellious move to leave the party and the endorsements he made about his uncle in public.
Mr. Thackeray remarked that he had no idea who the Opposition was in Maharashtra right now, but he claimed the MNS was the only party in the state that has taken a consistent position.
Despite his ties to the ruling BJP, Mr. Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s alienated cousin, has intimated that he may contest on his own in the next elections. The MNS’s substantial shift towards the BJP in the last year has prompted onlookers to speculate about a possible coalition between the two. Only because someone meets somebody, a coalition cannot be forced, he said.
Maharashtra Political Crisis
The political crisis that began in Maharashtra dates back to June 2022. Eknath Shinde made a rebellion and moved out of the Shiv Sena party along with 40 MLAs. Soon after that, on June 29, 2022 Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister and very soon Eknath Shinde was sworn in as CM and Devendra Fadnavis as Deputy CM.
Source: The Print
In Feb 2024, Election Commission issued a judgement that the party name ‘ Shiv Sena’ and the party symbol ( bow and arrow ) will be held by the Shinde faction.
In May 2024, the Supreme Court rules that resetting the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration cannot restore the status quo ante since then-CM Uddhav Thackeray did not face the floor test.
Nationalist Congress Party ( NCP ) under Sharad Pawar was a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Pawar Politics
On June 10, 2024 at the 25th anniversary of the NCP party, Sharad Pawar declared Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the working presidents of the party. Supriya Sule was also appointed as the head of the NCP’s central election committee.
Ajit Pawar was not appointed to any party positions. Ajit Pawar stated publicly that he desired a party position rather than the one of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
In a momentous development on July 02, three weeks after Sharad Pawar appointed Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as working presidents of the Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar made a daring effort to join the Maharashtra administration of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis with the backing of at least 29 MLAs.
Ajit Pawar became the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra along with Devendra Fadnavis.
Who is Raj Thackeray?
Raj Thackeray is an estranged cousin of Udhav Thackeray. Thackeray began his political career by establishing the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, the Shiv Sena’s student wing.
Raj Thackeray resigned from Shiv Sena on November 27, 2005, after years of being marginalised by Bal Thackeray’s other leaders working for him. Thackeray established the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on March 9, 2006, in Mumbai.
He is being an active politician in Maharashtra constantly criticising the ruling party. Following the NCP party split, he has also said that he would not be surprised if Supriya Sule is made a minister in the Centre soon.
