Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President, Sharad Pawar, made a significant statement on Thursday, categorically dismissing his nephew Ajit Pawar's aspirations to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra as a mere 'dream.' Sharad Pawar's remark appears to be a direct swipe at Ajit Pawar, who currently serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leads a breakaway faction of the NCP.
The ongoing controversy within the NCP has revolved around various political upheavals, including the revolt in July, when Ajit Pawar defected from the party to join the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government as the third partner.
Ajit Pawar has publicly expressed his ambition to become the Chief Minister on multiple occasions, especially after serving as Deputy CM. He has emphasized that achieving this goal depends on the support of the necessary number of MLAs.
However, Sharad Pawar’s latest assertion could prove to be a huge dampener for his nephew’s unabashed ambitions and also his die-hard supporters rooting for him as the future CM, if not the next. In fact, frequently in the recent past, banners and posters have been put up in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and other places, proclaiming Ajit Pawar as ‘the Future CM’.
The reaction from the Ajit Pawar faction is awaited, as both factions of the NCP are currently embroiled in a legal dispute and a battle before the Election Commission of India over control of the 25-year-old party founded by Sharad Pawar. This development adds further complexity to the already intricate political landscape in Maharashtra.