The editorial was based on Pawar’s recent decision to step down as NCP president, which he withdrew after three days after it caused consternation among party leaders and workers. Notably, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is one of the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with the NCP and Congress.
Pawar referred to the Congress and the NCP coming to power in Maharashtra in 1999 and how first-time inductee ministers from NCP proved their mettle. In that cabinet, Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Dilip Walse Patil, R R Patil, and others became ministers from NCP. It was their first term in power. As far as I am concerned, I worked as a minister of state when I started, and after working as a junior minister, I was promoted. But the names suggested by me were inducted as cabinet ministers at that time. And Maharashtra witnessed how NCP ministers proved themselves through their work, he said.
Responding to a query on whether the criticism by MVA constituents will affect the prospects of the tripartite coalition, Pawar replied in the negative. This will not affect MVA as differences occur among allies. It is not the case in national politics that two allies will have a 100 per cent agreement on any issue. Sometimes, there is a difference of opinion, but we do not have any misunderstanding and it will not have any impact on MVA, he said.
Meanwhile, Pawar also hit out at Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan over his reported statement calling NCP a B team of BJP in Karnataka, by questioning his stature in Indian National Congress. He (Chavan) should check his stature in his own party…Whether it is A, B, C or D. Any colleague from his party would tell you in private, the NCP chief said.
On the rationale behind fielding candidates in Karnataka polls, he said the NCP wanted to expand the party base beginning from Karnataka. We did not hold any discussions with Congress or other allies in Karnataka because we wanted to start from scratch, he said. The reason why we did not hold any discussions with the Congress was that the NCP wanted to start from scratch in the southern state. When there is an alliance with another party, it is imperative to provide strength to that party. But, as we were starting new, it was not possible to give the assurance that we would be able to provide strength if we go with them, he said.
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