SCOOP: Ajit Pawar Eyeing 2019 Repeat With BJP In Maharashtra? Speculations Rife

NCP leader Ajit Pawar is exploring options and is open to switching sides in the APMC level elections to join hands with the BJP, sources have claimed. It is being speculated that the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly might repeat what happened in 2019, when Pawar was sworn in as then CM Devendra Fadnavis' Deputy much to everyone's surprise. This comes after he lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "magic" and said that under the latter's leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014 and 2019.

In the last few weeks, Republic has learned, that the NCP has broken ranks with other opposition parties primarily with Congress over issues concerning the Adani Group, PM Modi's college degrees, and VD Savarkar.

Notably, the opposition in Maharashtra is the Maha Vikas Aghadi which comprises three main parties-- the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). Most recently, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar contradicted the Congress members saying there is no need for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Adani Group issue as a Supreme Court panel will be more appropriate. Pawar had also asked the Congress to tone down its attack over the Savarkar row. 

NCP-Congress disagreement

Another issue that the NCP and Congress disagree on is the EVMs being hacked, something that is raised time and again by opposition party leaders. This concern has no credibility, believes Ajit Pawar. "Sometimes some people lose elections but they think that they can't lose it and then they start putting allegations on EVMs, but in reality, it is the actual mandate of the people," Ajit Pawar said last week. 

"It is not possible to manipulate EVMs in our country. It is a big system altogether, lots of checks and balances are involved," he stated adding that the opposition parties would not remain in power in any non-BJP states if the EVMs were faulty.