'Nothing will affect Maha Vikas Aghadi': Sharad Pawar quells rift scarce amid Sanjay Raut's criticism of NCP(SP) chief

Mumbai: Amid two back to back attacks by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sharad Pawar indicating tensions in the opposition camp, the NCP (SP) supremo made it clear that "nothing will happen" to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, a component of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

Over the past few days, Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, had attacked Pawar twice in the wake of developments revolving around the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan which was held in Delhi.

Pawar, a four-time Maharashtra Chief Minister and three-time union minister, was the Chairman of the reception committee of the annual Marathi literary meet.

Raut had targeted Pawar for conferring Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar in the presence of Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia besides being silent after Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson targeted Thackeray for “giving one post for two Mercedes”.

On being asked whether the developments would have an outcome on the MVA comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), Pawar said: “…nothing will happen…”.

After Dr Gorhe’s comments on Thackeray at a literary forum, Raut slammed the organisers for allowing participants to air political views. “Pawar cannot shrug the responsibility over participants engaging in political mudslinging that took place at the Sahitya Sammelan,” he said.

Reacting to questions on Raut’s charge, Pawar, a veteran master-politician, said that he agrees that such political remarks should not have been made by Dr Gorhe.

“What Raut said is 100 percent true…There was no need for Gorhe to create this controversy. There was no need to say unnecessary things. Neelam Gorhe worked with Prakash Ambedkar (in Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh). Then she joined the (undivided) NCP… later she joined Uddhav Thackeray’s (undivided) Shiv Sena. Now she is working under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. In a small span, she changed for parties,” he said.