SAHEB LOSES STEAM

Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock

- DNYANESH JATHAR

Is Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar sulking? Or, is he trying to garner sympathy for himself? Going by his recent public statements, the latter seems to be the case.

When Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently visited Mumbai to take part in Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, Ajit chose not to meet him along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. When his absence became news, he met Shah at the airport.

It was reported that Ajit asked Shah to make him chief minister if the BJP-led alliance retained power after the assembly polls, due in November. Ajit later denied the report, saying he only discussed problems faced by farmers.

Apparently, Ajit has realised that his Nationalist Congress Party faces an uphill task in the polls. He recently said he did not have to ask for permission while distributing party tickets as he was the saheb (boss). It was a veiled reference to his uncle, former chief minister Sharad Pawar, with whom he had parted ways in February last year. In response, Amol Kolhe, MP, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP that opposes Ajit, retorted that Maharashtra knows only two sahebs-Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

A leader of Ajit's NCP in Pune district told THE WEEK that the party could get to contest 60 to 65 seats in the polls. "I met him (Ajit) a few days ago; instead of assembly elections, we spoke about elections in sugar cooperatives. But 60 to 65 seats is what we are aiming to contest [in the assembly polls]," said the leader.

Ajit recently said that he was ready to step aside if the people of Baramati, the assembly constituency that he has represented for more than three decades, wanted another leader to be their representative. This led to speculation regarding his future with Baramati.