The Sharad Pawar conundrum for MVA ahead of local body elections in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Into its quarter century, there seems to be some kind of a churning within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that veteran politician Sharad Pawar founded way back in 1999.

In the run up to the local bodies’ polls, there could be many surprises in Maharashtra politics.

While the NCP and the iconic clock symbol is commanded by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar after the July-July 2023 split in the party, Sharad Pawar is the President of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and his daughter and four-time Baramati MP Supriya Sule is Working President.

The recent statement of Saheb, as the senior Pawar is known, on the possible merger of NCP and NCP (SP) has stunned both the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi and the ruling Maha Yuti.

“There are two views in the party. One is that we reunite with the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. The second is that we don’t go directly or indirectly with the BJP. Let’s join the I.N.D.I.A. group and reorganise the alliance,” Pawar had said in a newspaper interview.

During an informal chat with reporters in Pune, he said: "If the reunion happens, it should not surprise others”.

The statement of Sharad Pawar, the 84-year-old Bhishma Pitamaha of Maharashtra comes at a time when the opposition MVA, which comprises Congress, NCP (SP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is trying to stay relevant.

The statement of Sharad Pawar upset the Shiv Sena (UBT), which had suffered a BJP-engineered split with Thackeray losing control over the name Shiv Sena and iconic bow and arrow symbol at the hands of now Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

While Ajit Pawar has maintained a silence over his uncle Sharad Pawar’s statement, the latter’s daughter Supriya Sule maintained that there is no final call over the issue yet.

“I was busy with the all-party meet in Delhi over the evolving situation on the country's borders. I returned yesterday, and have not met (Pawar) Saheb yet. I will have to meet him and understand what he has said to the press,” she said.

A few days ago, Malshiras MLA Uttam Jankar made a pitch for joining hands with Ajit Pawar. In fact, after the Assembly polls, it was Jankar, who led the campaign to do away with the EVMs from the Markadwadi village in Solapur district.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the BJP won 132 seats and also had the support of half a dozen members of smaller parties and independents while partners Shiv Sena and NCP managed 57 and 41 seats.

In contrast, MVA has a poor tally with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 20, Congress 16 and NCP (SP) 10 seats.

In fact, earlier this month, five NCP (SP) leaders - including former minister Gulabrao Deokar, former MLAs Satish Patil, Kailash Patil, Dilip Sonawane, Dilip Wagh and Sharad Patil joined the NCP- in what was a major blow to senior Pawar.

This perhaps prompted Sharad Pawar to stay away from NCP's four-day festival ‘Gauravshali Maharashtra’, during which they felicitated former Maharashtra CMs.

At the function, Ajit Pawar had said: “Nobody is a friend or foe of any other party permanently in politics.”

In the recent past, the uncle-nephew has shared dais in half a dozen events.

Within the large Pawar clan of Baramati, there is a broad opinion about both sides coming together sinking all differences.

In fact, after the talks of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray making statements about readiness to sink differences and possibility of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS working together, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said: “All families need to come together”.