'No Reasons To Doubt Him': Congress Extends Hope In Sharad Pawar After Nephew Ajit Joins BJP

In a most unprecedented move, Ajit Pawar joined BJP and took oath as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra on Saturday morning, while BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the CM for the second consecutive term.

NCP President Sharad Pawar arrives for a press conference, in Mumbai. (Image: PTI)

Mumbai: Hours after his nephew Ajit Pawar joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form government in Mahrashtra, the Congress said that there is no reason to doubt the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar for what his nephew has done. In a most unprecedented move, Ajit Pawar joined BJP and took oath as the Deputy CM of Maharashtra on Saturday morning, while BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the CM for the second consecutive term. Responding to the initial reactions which came against NCP chief after his nephew Ajit switched sides and joined the BJP, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, during a press conference, said that the party has no reason to doubt Sharad Pawar after he gave the explanation. "We have no reason to doubt Sharad Pawar after he gave the explanation," Surjewala said referring to the statement given by NCP chief distancing NCP and himself from Ajit Pawar's move. “We place on record that we do not support or endorse this decision of his,” Pawar had earlier said in a tweet. "An honest NCP worker can never be a part of the BJP government formation," Pawar said at a joint press conference in Mumbai earlier in the day. Pawar also added that as many as 11 MLAs, along with Ajit, have joined hands with the BJP. Terming the new government formation process in Maharashtra as 'illegitimate', Surjewala said that the swearing-in of Fadnavis as chief minister was a black chapter in India's democracy, adding that the BJP acted as the 'contract killer' of the democracy. "They used an opportunistic Ajit Pawar and intimidated him with jail. If this is not a murder of democracy, then what is this? Last night, the pages of the Constitution were torn and a CM was administered oath in the night," he added. In a series of tweets, Surjewala said: "Do not look at me like this in the light, I am politics, I don't wear clothes. This is called: Betrayal of mandate and democracy." Slamming Fadnavis for dimissing media reports that it will not take support of the NCP to form a government in the state as it has exposed their corruption, Surjewala said: "The hunger for power cleans all the clots of corruption and principles." In a master stroke, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar took oath as the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, leaving the Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena surprised as the leaders of the three parties were supposed to hold the final round of meetings to finalise their deal for Maharashtra, where President's rule was imposed since November 12.