Ajit Pawar denies role in 5 Sena corporators joining NCP, in meet with CM Uddhav: Sources

Even as both Shiv Sena and NCP are issuing statements that the Uddhav government in Maharashtra is stable, a late-night meet was held between CM Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, reportedly to discuss the issue of 5 Shiv Sena corporators joining the NCP. As per sources, Ajit Pawar tried to convince the CM that his son Parth Pawar had no hand in the defection of Sena Corporators to NCP and that it was an internal and regional political issue.

As the five Shiv Sena corporators from Parner Nagar Panchayat in Ahmednagar joined the NCP in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati on Saturday, reports about fissures within the Maha Vikas Aghadi gained momentum. Sources said that in the late-night meeting, several other recent differences regarding decision-making were also discussed in the presence of various other leaders of the NCP and Sena.

READ | Sharad Pawar dismisses talk of rift in MVA, dubs CM Uddhav's performance as 'satisfactory'

Earlier on Saturday, sources said that Shiv Sena has asked NCP to return its five Corporators from Parner that have joined the Sharad Pawar-led party. As per sources, Chief Minister Uddhav made a close aide Milind Narvekar call Deputy CM Pawar and they discussed the matter thereafter. Shiv Sena reportedly has raised concern over such poaching with the three parties being in the ruling alliance.

Five former Sena corporators who are now in NCP are Dr. Mudassir Sayyad, Nandkumar Deshmukh, Kishan Gandhade, Vaishali Auti and Nanda Deshmane. A senior NCP Minister in Maharashtra Cabinet told ANI, "This development has come due to local equations of Parner and Ahmednagar. It won't have any impact on MVA at state-level."

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Rift or no rift in Aghadi?

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi set the rumour mills abuzz on May 26 after trying to distance his party from the Maharashtra government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Maintaining that there was a difference between running and supporting a government, he observed that the Congress party was not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra.

The rift escalated in June after senior Congress leaders including Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat publicly admitted that there were certain differences with the functioning of the government. They demanded that Congress should get a bigger stake in the decision-making process and conveyed their grievances to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Moreover, Congress and NCP leaders recently said that they were unaware of the decision of the lockdown extension taken by CM Uddhav. 

READ | Shiv Sena asks NCP to return its 5 corporators who jumped ship, amid cracks in MVA

However, NCP supremo Pawar on Tuesday dismissed speculations of a rift in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance while addressing the media in Pune on Tuesday. Pawar maintained that his discussion with Thackeray pertain to the pressing issues of the state. Describing the Maharashtra CM's work as "satisfactory", he conceded that all other work in the state had to be stopped after the COVID-19 crisis emerged as a priority. The NCP supremo also mentioned that the state Cabinet holds meetings for 14-15 hours a day regarding the novel coronavirus crisis. 

Exuding confidence that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government will complete its full-term, Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana dismissed the 'rumors' about the rift between the MVA partners. The editorial states that rumors are being spread to project BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis as a 'strong opposition.' 

READ | Shiv Sena targets PM Modi over COVID-19 crisis