Ajit Pawar's moves expose fissures in BJP-led Maharashtra alliance

State Health Minister Prof Tanaji Sawant has hit out at Ajit Pawar, saying 'I have never got along with the NCP all my life, we sit next to each other, but when we come out, we vomit.'

Mumbai: The fissures within the BJP-led Maha Yuti dispensation in Maharashtra have been laid out in the open in the wake of the surprising moves of Ajit Pawar following the collapse of the grand bronze statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Rajkot Fort in Malvan in the coastal Sindhudurg district.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and two Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis of BJP and Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP President, have held back-to-back meetings in the wake of the incident.

Over the last three days, Ajit Pawar has sprung three surprises - an apology to the 13 crore people of the state for the collapse of the state of Shivaji Maharaj and the state-wide silent protest of NCP demanding action against those who erred followed by a visit to the site.

The 35-foot tall statue of Shivaji Maharaj with a sword in his hand - was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg coinciding with Navy Day celebrations on December 4, 2023. However, within months it collapsed - leading to a big political issue in Maharashtra.

The leadership of Maha Yuti involving BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP are introspecting over the way the issue has been handled and also the voices within which have gone public.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who calls the shots, had to go on the backfoot because of the ruckus during the Maha Vikas Aghadi morcha at the statue site when Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP Narayan Rane and his elder son Dr Nilesh Rane entered, and their arguments with the police and clash with MVA workers, particularly belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

Shiv Sena (UBT) has released photos of sculptor Jaideep Apte with Rane’s younger son and Malvan MLA Nitesh Rane.

Shinde, who is the chief leader of Shiv Sena, had tendered an apology, saying: “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a patron deity of Maharashtra. I am ready to touch his feet 100 times and apologise. I will not shy away from apologising. Our government functions keeping his ideals in mind.”

Shinde and Fadnavis, however, have said that it is the Indian Navy which has overseen the project.

While the matter seemed to have been put to bed, state Health Minister Prof Tanaji Sawant has hit out at Ajit Pawar.

"I have never got along with the NCP all my life, we sit next to each other, but when we come out, we vomit," said Sawant, and was immediately targetted by Ajit Pawar's aide and MLC Amol Mitkari, who said: “But being in the Maha Yuti, if they are vomiting, only Eknath Shinde can tell us what is causing it.”

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) took this opportunity to target Ajit Pawar and Maha Yuti.

NCP (SP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase expressed disbelief that Ajit Pawar’s party would tolerate such an insult. "I never imagined that Ajit Dada, who once commanded immense respect within the NCP, would compromise his self-respect for power,” he said questioning the price of such a move of switching to the NDA camp, which appears to have led to public humiliation rather than political gain.

Tapase pointed out that dissatisfaction within the ruling coalition has been simmering for some time. “The RSS and BJP have openly held Ajit Pawar responsible for the BJP’s setbacks in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, further straining relations within the mahayuti alliance. The growing discomfort among Shinde’s Shiv Sena members over Ajit Pawar’s inclusion in the government has now been starkly revealed through Sawant’s remarks. Ajit Pawar, who justified his decision to break away from Sharad Pawar and join the Shinde government as a move for development, was supported by senior leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Sunil Tatkare. However, Tapase questioned why these leaders have remained silent in the face of such blatant disrespect.”

Asked about the investigations and reasons, Ajit Pawar said: “A joint technical committee has been formed…let us not hazard a guess as to whether PWD, Navy or anyone else is responsible.”