Maha Somersault: Ajit Pawar is a Traitor, Says Supriya Sule, Indicating Split in NCP

New Delhi: As the midnight drama in Maharashtra unfolded with BJP signing up with a section of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, rumours were rife about the ‘strong ED case’ against Ajit Pawar for alleged involvement in various scams and his imminent arrest as one reason for his crossing over, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) sources even expressed doubt over the number of party MLAs supporting him.

Nevertheless, the political jolt seems to have left not only ordinary people of the state reeling under the early morning shock, but even political party leaders are said to be stunned by the overnight political shenanigans behind the events that unfolded with BJP leader Devendra Fandavis back in the saddle, as of now.

Reacting to his nephew, Ajit Pawar’s overnight somersault, NCP  supremo and a master political strategist Sharad Pawar tweeted: "Ajit Pawar's decision to support the BJP to form the Maharashtra Government is his personal decision and not that of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). We place on record that we do not support or endorse this decision of his."

Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, a Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, referred to her cousin as a “traitor.”

Hours after Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took a hurried oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively, presided over by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Sule told Indian Express:  “There is a split in both the family and the party.”

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut accused Ajit Pawar of “back-stabbing” the Sena by deciding to join hands with the BJP. He said Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray would address a joint press conference in Mumbai soon.

The Congress, too, hit out at Fadnavis being sworn-in as the Maharashtra chief minister on Saturday, saying it was a "betrayal of people's mandate" and the "illegitimate" government formation will self-destruct.

"This is called betrayal of people's mandate and giving contract for killing democracy," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet. He also tagged media reports on allegations of Ajit Pawar's involvement in scams.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who was at the forefront of the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena negotiations, said illegal and evil manoeuvres took place in the secrecy of midnight.

"Such was the shame that they had to do the swearing in hiding. This illegitimate formation will self destruct," Patel said in a tweet.

The development raised eyebrows not only in the political circles, but also among the people of the state as the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress had been holding talks over forming the government in the state.

It was only on Friday evening that Pawar had said the new government would be led by Uddhav Thackeray, which signalled the end of speculation on who would occupy the chief minister's post.

The three parties had even prepared a draft common minimum programme (CMP) to guide the actions of the new government.

At the end of the day, however, there was some ‘solace’ for secular parties that the political drama has ensured at least one thing --  the snapping of a three-decade alliance between tow Right-wing parties, the Sena and BJP.

Even the recent Assembly elections were fought by the two Hindutva parties as part of a pre-poll alliance. Both had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member House. However, the Sena broke ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister's post, and also quit the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre and withdrew its only minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet.

The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats respectively.