Two days after Sharad Pawar raked up the issue of merger of the two NCPs, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at his MVA ally NCP (SP), saying it is evident the senior Pawar and his nephew, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, are “already together.”
The Sena (UBT) sees the recent public bonhomie between the Pawars as a sign of quiet rapprochement — a move it views with suspicion. “We understand what is happening. Those who claim to be in the Opposition (Sharad Pawar) are appearing side by side with those (Ajit Pawar) who joined hands with the BJP. They are already together,” Raut told reporters in Mumbai, referring to the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha event in Satara on Friday where Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule shared the stage.
The Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, a prestigious educational institution founded by Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil, is headed by Sharad Pawar and has historically provided a common platform for leaders across ideological lines. But the Pawars together on stage has renewed questions about the real distance — or lack thereof — between the two factions of the NCP, which split after Ajit Pawar aligned with the BJP in July 2023.
Raut’s remarks came in response to Sharad Pawar’s recent interview to The Indian Express, in which the veteran leader acknowledged internal divisions within his party on the question of reuniting with Ajit Pawar’s faction. “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 INDIA group and reorganise the alliance,” Pawar had said.
Responding to it, Sule reportedly told the media that she alone cannot take the decision on it and it’s party workers whose opinion matters.
Raut, however, questioned that Rayat Shikshan Sanstha-like events were non-political gatherings and clarified the Sena UBT’s stand on realignment with the Eknath Shinde-led Sena. “These are not just educational events. The symbolism is clear. We are not like other parties that depend on sugar cooperatives or educational institutions to settle political scores or bridge internal rifts,” he said.
Firmly ruling out any political reconciliation with Shinde-led Sena, Raut said, “Our self-respecting position is not to join hands with those who broke our party, toppled our government, misused power and money, and stabbed Maharashtra in the back.”
Story continues below this ad
Raut said the BJP propped up both Shinde and Ajit Pawar to serve its political ends. “They used them as tools to dismantle Opposition parties and crush dissent. This is not governance; this is betrayal,” he said.