Pawars of Maharashtra

Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) re-enacted another political drama in Maharashtra when its legislature party leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in the MVA defected with a majority of MLAs to join the BJP-Shiv Sena(Shinde). The defection has struck a blow on efforts by some 15 opposition parties to unite against the BJP in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Maharastra with 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, is a big state which is crucial for the BJP-led NDA including opposition parties mooting for an alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The Maha Vikas Aghadi(MVA) comprising of what was left of the Shiv Sena(Uddhav), NCP and Congress- would have been a formidable alliance against the BJP in 2024. However when Ajit Pawar backstabbed his uncle on July 2 and joined BJP-Shiv Sena(Shinde) government , it shook and weakened the MVA while gifting a bonus for the BJP. This is the second time that Ajit Pawar displayed his Machiavellian side. He had ditched his uncle Sharad Pawar in 2019 to foist BJP to become deputy chief minister under BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis. Ajit Pawar was deputy chief minister for 80 hours after which he backstabbed Fadnavis and rejoined his uncle. He was rewarded with the post of deputy chief minister in the MVA coalition after his uncle Sharad Pawar propped up a non-elected Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena as chief minister. The MVA coalition then fell after Eknath Shinde defected with a sizeable number of Shiv Sena MLAs to join BJP and become chief minister on June 20,2022. Ajit again did a replay of 2019 when he crossed over with NCP stalwarts such as Chhagan Bhujbal and MP Praful Patel on July 2 to join the BJP-Shiv Sena(Shinde) and was sworn in as deputy chief minister. Speculations of Ajit ditching MVA became more pronounced after the fall-out between the Pawars when Ajit on June 10, was made NCP legislature party leader, a post he did not relish. It is said that the uncle who has been grooming the nephew may have indicated that he would eventually prefer his daughter Supriya Sule. This then precipitated Ajit’s second backstab but may still insist its another Pawar family drama. At 82, Sharad Pawar is the veteran Machiavelli of Indian politics. In the political corridors of Maharashtra, there is a saying : “Sharad Pawar never does what he says, and never says what he does.” His unpredictability remains his biggest asset, and even at this age, he has a penchant as well as the ability to give shocks. Unpredictability, unscrupulousness, political expediency and the ambition to be in power at any cost have been the perennial attributes of his personality. In May by distancing himself from Opposition offensive against Adani, and its stalling of Parliament, Sharad Pawar again reminded others to hold out the lesson: “Don’t take him for granted, be ready for surprises.” Sharad Pawar, the ultimate politician who knows well to keep friends close, enemies closer and both guessing, may have done it again; but it remains to be seen if this time, the younger nephew would prove to be more than a match.