Backstabber Sharad Pawar can't be our guru, MVA government just adjustment: Shiv Sena's Anant Geete

Pawar is considered the architect and anchor of the MVA government which came to power after the 2019 Assembly elections following a fallout between Sena and BJP

Amid bonhomie between Shiv Sena and NCP, the saffron party’s senior leader Anant Geete has targeted Sharad Pawar saying that a back-stabber cannot be their guru.

Geete (70), a six-time Lok Sabha MP, is a senior leader of Shiv Sena and had been a minister of the BJP-led NDA government – having been a part of governments led by the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and PM Narendra Modi.

Geete's statement has rattled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which is an alliance of Shiv Sena with Congress-NCP combine that has kept BJP out of power and Pawar is considered the chief architect of the alliance.

The outburst of Geete has come as an embarrassment to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who has excellent familial and political relations with the Pawar family.

Also Read | Yet another political war between Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Uddhav Thackeray

The Shiv Sena-NCP has also indicated forging an alliance for the ensuing local bodies polls including that of Mumbai.

“Sharad Pawar cannot ever be our leader as this government (MVA) is merely a sort of an adjustment. Let people use as many accolades for Pawar but our 'guru' is only (late) Balasaheb Thackeray…Pawar cannot be guru of Shiv Sainiks,” Geete said while addressing a meeting in Shrivardhan tehsil of Raigad district.

"Pawar had formed his party by backstabbing Congress. If Congress and NCP cannot become one, the Shiv Sena also cannot toe the Congress policy entirely. Congress and NCP were not cordial always," the Sena leader said.

The NCP, however, hit back at Geete with Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare saying that the Shiv Sena leader does not know the history. “He lost the elections and seems dejected and hence he has made such a statement,” said Tatkare.

Also Read | Sharad Pawar frowns over new language of politics

“Geete must know how a coalition government functions…he has been part of coalition…he was minister of state for finance, he was central power minister, he also served the heavy industries minister for five years, the ministry which gives maximum to the GDP,” said Tatkare.

“We may have lesser seats in legislative bodies but the stature and importance of Pawar saheb is known to one and all,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut described Geete’s statement as personal.

“I don't know what Anant Geete has said, I would only say that Sharad Pawar is a big leader, he is the main pillar of the government in Maharashtra. It may be someone's personal opinion but it is not the statement of the party,” he said.

Check out latest videos from DH: