After the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) raised the proposal of a merger with the NCP, the Maharashtra BJP unit on Monday questioned what it described as Sharad Pawar’s party’s desperation for unification and asked about the fate of its “secular” agenda.
After Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash on January 28, Sharad Pawar stated that the merger decision would be announced on February 12. The party said Ajit Pawar was interested in a merger and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) shared the same opinion.
The NCP (SP) leaders also stated that Ajit Pawar had held several rounds of talks with them regarding unification of the two factions.
While talking to him indian express On Monday, Keshav Upadhye, chief spokesperson of the Maharashtra BJP, said: “The NCP is with the NDA and Mahayuti. If Sharad Pawar’s party wants to join the NCP, it will have to join the government. In that case, what will happen to its secular agenda?”
“Why is Sharad Pawar’s party so desperate to merge with the NCP? Even before the mourning period was over and before Ajit Pawar’s ashes were deposited, they raised the issue of a merger. Why are they in such a rush to merge?” -Upadhye asked.
However, last Saturday, NCP founder Sharad Pawar distanced himself from recent developments and said that several reported decisions were internal matters of the Ajit Pawar-led faction and had not been discussed with his group.
Pawar told reporters that discussions had been held on the possible merger of the two factions of the NCP, but they now appeared uncertain.
‘Sharad Pawar’s HMV’
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Upadhye also posted on social media questioning Sharad Pawar’s credibility and his party’s desperation to merge.
“Sharad Pawar speaks, and his ‘HMV’ (His Master’s Voice) ecosystem thoughtlessly echoes those words as the absolute truth, without thought or question. This is no longer an exception; it has become the standard practice. Given the politics that the Pawar faction initiated after the unfortunate accidental death of Ajit Pawar, questions should actually have been raised about Sharad Pawar’s own credibility. Instead, the criticisms were conveniently directed at Sunetra Pawar and to the BJP. This is not political honesty, but rather an attempt to evade responsibility,” Upadhye’s post, loosely translated from Marathi, read.
Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar was sworn in as the state’s first female deputy chief minister on Saturday.
This situation, he said, raises some simple but troubling questions.
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“On the same day the accident occurred, the Pawar faction started discussing a merger, and Sharad Pawar himself expressed his agreement. In reality, no one from the NCP had officially demanded such a discussion. So what exactly was the need to push this issue in such a hurry?” asked.
‘Sign of the political impotence of the Pawar faction?’
Upadhye said that by raising the issue of merger at the wrong time, the NCP (SP) only showed its desperation. “Was the talk of a merger a sign of the political impotence of the Pawar faction? Because at that time, it was clear that Ajit Pawar would remain in the NDA and Mahayuti,” he said.
“If there was a merger on the horizon, what then would happen to Sharad Pawar’s so-called ‘secular’ stance? Would the ideology that the media never tired of praising suddenly crumble and be sidelined?”
Upadhye said if a merger was being considered, why was no one, not even Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut, wondering what would happen to the UPA at the Center and the MVA in the state?
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“The most important question of all… Why didn’t Sharad Pawar himself take a clear stand by saying that no merger discussions should take place at this time? He should have said, as the eldest in the family, I strongly support Sunetra Pawar. He should have said that I will accept whatever decision she takes. We will hold political discussions only after the mourning period is over.”
“What exactly is the reason why Sharad Pawar could not adopt this stance, one that would have demonstrated restraint, maturity and high morals?”
Tatkare’s statement was seen as a clear message to the NCP (SP) to decide whether it wants to join the NDA and leave the opposition MVA, comprising the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT).