Shinde Sena warns it will exit Maharashtra Govt if Ajit Pawar joins BJP

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde has issued a warning that if the rumours about NCP leader Ajit Pawar and several MLAs joining BJP turn out to be true, it would result in Shiv Sena's withdrawal from the Maharashtra government.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat, whose party shares power with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, said he thinks the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will not go with the BJP directly.

"Our policy is clear about it. The NCP is a party which betrays. We will not be with the NCP even in power. If the BJP takes NCP with them, Maharashtra will not like it. We decided to move out (of the earlier undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray) because people didn't like us going with the Congress and NCP," he said.

Mr Shirsat said Ajit Pawar has not said anything which means he doesn't want to be in the NCP.

"We left the Congress-NCP (which were part of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government) because we didn't want to be with them. Ajit Pawar doesn't have a free hand there. Therefore, if he leaves the NCP, we will welcome him. If he comes along with a group of NCP (leaders), we will not be in the government," the Shiv Sena leader said.

He said Ajit Pawar's displeasure is because his son Parth Pawar lost the election earlier. His displeasure has no connection with the case of a plea seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs pending before the Supreme Court.

Mr Shirsat was recently appointed spokesperson of the Shiv Sena-led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Parth Pawar was defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from the Maval constituency in Maharashtra.

"Ajit Pawar not being reachable is not a new thing. But his displeasure, which is being shown by the media, and our case (pending before the Supreme Court) has no relation. Ajit Pawar is disgruntled since his son Parth Pawar had lost the election," Mr Shirsat said.

"Ajit Pawar was held responsible for the oath ceremony held at dawn (in November 2019 with Devendra Fadnavis). After two-and-a-half years, Sharad Pawar said it was an experiment to revoke President's rule," he claimed.

Shirsat said Ajit Pawar has not clarified the incident to date.

The Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government formed in a hush-hush ceremony in November 2019 had lasted for three days.

Shirsat said Ajit Pawar is a big leader and he will not tell easily about what is going on in his mind.

He also slammed the Maha Vikas Aghadi's move to hold rallies in parts of the state, as a show of unity and strength.

"We have to search for Ajit Pawar's stand in the ongoing rallies of MVA. He could not speak at the rally in Nagpur. The party which has only 15 MLAs (referring to Uddhav Thac is the key speaker and the one which has 54 MLAs is side-tracked. This is disrespect of Ajit Pawar," he said.

PTI input