Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was trying to engineer defections in the rival NCP (SP), promising its leaders berths in the Union cabinet.
Raut's comment came after NCP leader Amol Mitkari said that some Lok Sabha members from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP were in contact with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
NCP (SP) MLA and former state minister Jitendra Awhad also alleged that Sunil Tatkare, state chief of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, had asked MPs of the rival faction to "leave the father and daughter", an apparent reference to Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Baramati MP Supriya Sule.
Tatkare flatly denied the allegations, and said these statements were only an attempt by the NCP (SP) to keep its flock together following the rout it faced in the Maharashtra assembly elections in November 2024.
Speaking to reporters, Raut alleged that senior NCP leader Praful Patel and Tatkare had been assigned the task of engineering defections in the Sharad Pawar-led faction.
Currently, the Ajit-led NCP has only one Lok Sabha MP, Tatkare, while the rival NCP (SP) has eight Lok Sabha members. But the Ajit Pawar-led party, part of the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state, did very well in the assembly elections.
"The party (NCP) will not get any post in the Union government unless they manage to secure defections from the Sharad Pawar-led faction," said Raut.
Elsewhere, when asked about the possibility of the two NCP factions coming together, Jitendra Awhad said, "If both NCPs are to come together, why did Sunil Tatkare make an offer to our Lok Sabha members to switch sides? His offer was to 'leave father-daughter aside and come to us'....I think Tatkare himself does not want both the Pawars to reunite." Awhad also claimed that the reports of imminent reunion of the two NCP factions were aimed at putting pressure on BJP ally and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, by sending a message that the BJP government at the Centre could get support from other quarters.
When contacted, Tatkare denied that he had tried to get the Lok Sabha members of any party to move to the NCP. "I have always maintained a respectful approach in politics, and not suggested to Lok Sabha members from any political party that they switch allegiance to us. And I believe in upholding civilised political discourse, which is why I refrain from using words like "baap-lek (father-daughter in Marathi)," he told PTI.
He does talk to NCP (SP) MPs as a courtesy when they meet in Delhi, he added.
Without naming Awhad, Tatkare also said some people make such claims as they want publicity by any means.
"These statements are a poor attempt to keep the remaining flock together, which is exhausted and demoralised after their massive defeat in Maharashtra assembly elections," he added.
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