Slight At Ajit Pawar? NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar Slams 'Politics Of Opportunism' In Cryptic Message
Amidst reunion rumours, NCP(SP) Chief Sharad Pawar subtly criticised his nephew Ajit's BJP alliance, deeming it "opportunistic politics", while urging party workers to focus on upcoming elections.
Pune, Jun 17 (PTI) In a veiled message to his estranged nephew Ajit Pawar amid buzz about a potential reunion between two factions of Nationalist Congress Party, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said some individuals indulged in opportunistic politics by aligning with BJP.
Addressing NCP (SP) workers in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pawar said such politics of opportunism can't be encouraged, noting that he was willing to take along those individuals who subscribe to the ideology of Gandhi, Nehru, Phule and Ambedkar.
Speculation about the potential merger of NCP (SP) with NCP of Ajit Pawar was fuelled by frequent meetings between the uncle-nephew duo on different occasions in the recent past.
"Someone speaking here just mentioned the need to take everyone along. There is no problem taking everyone along, but who is everyone? I am willing to take along individuals who subscribe to the ideology of Gandhi-Nehru, Phule and Ambedkar," the veteran politician said.
He said some individuals had left the party (NCP founded by him) and new people were joining.
"Everyone meant those individuals who subscribe to the ideology of Gandhi, Nehru, Jyotiba Phule and B R Ambedkar. I can accept them if they believe and follow this ideology.
"However, if someone is going with the BJP for power, then it is not the ideology of Congress. One may align with anyone but siding with BJP cannot be in sync with the Congress ideology," he said.
Pawar said this "politics of opportunism" cannot be encouraged. "We must move further accordingly", he added.
He appealed to the party cadres to stop worrying about those leaders who left the party and gear up for the upcoming elections to local bodies.
"I have seen such developments on several occasions in my career," he added.
Pawar said he trusts the political wisdom of the common people and asserted that democracy in India remained intact due to the collective conscience of the common man, and not because of political leaders.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founded by Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar, along with several other party leaders, joined the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.
Ajit was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, and eight other NCP leaders were sworn in as ministers.
The Election Commission recognised the Ajit-led group as the original NCP and allowed him to retain the original clock poll symbol of the party.
In the subsequent electoral contests, the NCP (SP) initially got the upper hand in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls but suffered a setback in the assembly elections held months later in Maharashtra.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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