Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
While the buzz of Ajit Pawar joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena dispensation may have apparently subsided, the friction between Mr. Pawar and his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition ally, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut continued.
A day after Mr. Pawar scotched rumours of him joining the ruling parties as “baseless”, Mr. Raut on Wednesday said he was the chowkidar (watchman) of the MVA alliance (of the Thackeray-led Sena, the NCP and Congress) and that the NCP leader had no reason to “get angry or blame him” (Mr. Raut) if he exposed the fact that the BJP was attempting to break the NCP.
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“I am the chowkidar [watchman] of the MVA… When the Shiv Sena was being split [referring to Eknath Shinde’s revolt], all our allies [NCP chief] Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and the Congress’ Nana Patole had expressed worry about us. It is our duty to ensure that all our allies remain firm when pressure is being applied by the BJP in form of Central agencies to break us,” said Mr. Raut, speaking to reporters in Mumbai.
The Sena (UBT) leader further said that Mr. Ajit Pawar was no one to raise questions about his (Mr. Raut’s) reliability.
“How can he question my reliability? I can accept if [NCP president] Sharad Pawar says something. And what is wrong if I’ve written in the Saamana that there was an attempt to break the opposition in Maharashtra? Have the BJP not broken the Shiv Sena? Are they not targeting the NCP? Go and ask NCP leaders Hasan Mushrif, Jitendra Awhad, Praful Patel or Anil Deshmukh whether or not there is any pressure on them. If I am putting these things in front of the public what is wrong with that,” Mr. Raut said, adding that he would always go on speaking the truth and if it hurt somebody, there was nothing he could do about it.
Speculation over Ajit Pawar’s possible exit from the NCP peaked after Mr. Raut, who is the executive editor of his party’s mouthpiece Saamana, claimed that during their Uddhav Thackeray’s recent meeting with Sharad Pawar, the latter had reportedly spoken of the pressure being applied on NCP leaders by Central agencies but had assured Mr. Thackeray that the NCP would not ally with the BJP, come what may.
In his weekly column Rok Thok, Mr. Raut had further claimed that Mr. Pawar had told Mr. Thackeray that while the party as a whole would not join with the BJP, if any individual wanted to take a personal decision [to leave the NCP and join the ruling BJP], then it is their lookout.
The reference to ‘individuals wanting to exit the NCP’ was allegedly towards Ajit Pawar, who had tried to form a government with the BJP after the 2019 Assembly election
On Tuesday, while refuting the buzz surrounding his political moves, Ajit Pawar had sharply rebuked Mr. Raut without naming him, by stating said that spokespersons from other parties were acting like the NCP’s spokesmen.
“Who has given them the right to speak on our behalf? We are quite capable of expressing our own stance in a firm manner. We do not need anyone to act as our legal counsel,” Ajit Pawar had said.
In response, Mr. Raut said that it was ironic that Ajit Pawar was blaming him.
“Why are you getting angry at me? When the Shiv Sena was being broken, you people [NCP and Congress] were acting as our defence. We have uncovered the BJP conspiracy to break the NCP. They should be the ones getting angry at me. The BJP’s mask is off… the manner in which they are trying to break parties by putting pressure of agencies has been thoroughly exposed and they have now gone on the backfoot,” said the Sena (UBT) leader.
While known for his affinity towards Sharad Pawar, Mr. Raut, known for his acerbic speech, has not endeared himself to either Ajit Pawar or State Congress chief Nana Patole. with whom relations continue to be delicately poised at best.
Likewise, the ‘rebel’ Sena faction led by CM Eknath Shinde has consistently held Mr. Raut and his proximity to Sharad Pawar as one being of the prime reasons for their revolt last year.