Sharad Pawar’s party to join NDA but tussle continues for Maha Finance Ministry
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP is all set to join the BJP-led Maharashtra cabinet and the NDA Union cabinet in a few days, sources said here on Friday.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP is all set to join the BJP-led Maharashtra cabinet and the NDA Union cabinet in a few days, sources said here on Friday.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that Sharad Pawar and his NCP would be welcome in the NDA, if he joins the BJP-led ruling alliance.
The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) submitted a memorandum to the President regarding the rising burden of fuel prices, the national examination system, and the alleged growing insecurity among minorities, among other issues.
According to the formula, the BJP will contest 11 seats, the Shinde-led Sena will contest 4 seats, and the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP will contest 2 seats.
Sources said that the BJP stand, which was discussed at a meeting of the Sunetra Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday evening, has not gone down well with her partymen.
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said here on Tuesday that he fears for the life of retired army chief General M M Naravane and alleged that the BJP government could scapegoat Naravane like it did with Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk.
However, sources said that the decision to give the additional charge to Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar is part of a damage control exercise by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has "temporarily" kept the strategic finance portfolio with him, which used to be with the late Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
. The editorial also claimed the decision was part of a broader agenda to prevent a merger between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and to ensure political continuity under the current power structure.
Sunetra Pawar was born in 1963 to Bajirao Patil, who was a political leader from Maharashtra's Darashiv.
Many NCP leaders have said that it was Ajit Dada's (last) wish to reunite the two party factions, one of them headed by him and the other by his uncle Sharad Pawar.
