Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP (Ajit faction) leader Ajit Pawar with party leader Praful Patel.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Days after NCP founder-President Sharad Pawar held a public rally at Beed district of Maharashtra, the Ajit Pawar-Praful Patel-led rebel group has planned a massive show of strength in the Marathwada town on August 27. However, the rebel group made it clear that it is not an answer to Pawar’s rally but about the development of Beed and the Marathwada region.
Pawar Senior addressed a rally in Beed on August 17.
At the 27 August rally, besides Praful Patel, the NCP Working President, state NCP President Sunil Tatkare, all the NCP ministers Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the Finance portfolio, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode and Anil Patil would be present.
Munde, an MLA from Parli, who has been entrusted to hold the rally in his home district, said: “On 17 August, one rally was held…in now way the 27 August meeting is an answer to that rally…the rally is about Beed and Marathwada region and how to take it ahead.”
The 82-year-old Pawar had started his state-tour from Yeola in Nashik, which is the constituency of Bhujbal, however later postponed the plans because of the heavy monsoon period. From Beed, he re-started his outreach programme.
The July 2 split in the NCP, during which Ajit Pawar walked out of his uncle’s fold to join the BJP-led NDA coalition, has clearly hit the parent party.
The 27 August rally comes days ahead of the I.N.D.I.A meeting in Mumbai during which the opposition bloc would chart its future course.