Sharad Pawar's grandnephew and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar took a swipe at the rival faction of the party led by his uncle Ajit Pawar, stating that the BJP wants to send a message to the NCP that they did not benefit from them in the Lok Sabha elections, which is why they were not offered a ministerial berth in the Union Cabinet.
"I've always said that whoever goes to the BJP, their power gets reduced. As far as Ajit Pawar's power is concerned, the people have shown it in the recent Lok Sabha elections. I think the BJP wants to convey a message that we did not benefit from you (NCP) in the Lok Sabha elections. On the other hand, with the support of the people, Sharad Pawar became more powerful," Rohit Pawar said.
"It's likely that in the future, Ajit Dada and his friends might have to contest elections on the BJP symbol," he added.
"The one person who has benefited the most from this is Praful Patel. The ED probe against him has been stopped. Two years of his Rajya Sabha membership had passed, and he got it extended by six more years. Praful Patel is the smartest person with Ajit Pawar. When he was with Saheb, he became a minister. After losing an election, he was sent to Rajya Sabha. Now with Dada, he has got his ED case scrapped. I think he is the smartest person in that party," Rohit Pawar concluded.
Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party will not have any representation in the Union Cabinet, party leader Praful Patel informed on Sunday, just hours before the new cabinet under PM Modi takes oath. Patel stated that the party was offered a Minister of State (MoS) position. However, since he has previously served as a Cabinet Minister, it would be a demotion for him.