The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, on Sunday threatened to quit the ruling alliance in Maharashtra while demanding the removal of a senior Shiv Sena leader as the seat-sharing trouble intensified.
The tussle centering around the Pawar dynasty-dominated Baramati Lok Sabha seat is just one among many such squabbles hindering an amicable distribution of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra among the ruling alliance partners — the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the NCP (Ajit Pawar).
The NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar has announced the candidature of Supriya Sule — Sharad Pawar’s daughter — from Baramati. Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, who has split and aligned with the BJP, is determined to field his wife — Sunetra Pawar — from the family-dominated seat.
However, Vijay Shivtare — a local stalwart associated with the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde — has jumped into the fray and has declared to file his nomination from Baramati.
Shivtare has been hitting out at Ajit Pawar — deputy chief minister in the Shinde-led government — for promoting dynastic politics, leading to rising tempers in the ruling alliance.
“We have been demanding action against Shivtare after his outburst against the deputy chief minister. Today, he has again used objectionable language against our leader. Now only his sacking will pacify us. Otherwise we are contemplating leaving the Mahayuti alliance,” NCP chief spokesperson Umesh Patil was quoted by The Indian Express.
The ruling alliance has so far not declared the distribution of seats among the three partners owing to tussle over a dozen seats, sources said. Several rounds of talks have been held between the alliance leaders but no resolution has been reached yet.
“On over half-a-dozen seats, both the BJP and the Shiv Sena have been staking claim and on some others, it is between the Shiv Sena and the NCP,” one BJP leader said.
One such prominent seat is Kalyan, represented by chief minister Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde. The local BJP leaders have been protesting over the demand that Kalyan should go to the lotus symbol. Similar problems are being seen in the Thane and Palghar Lok Sabha seats with both the BJP and the Sena staking claims.
On Sunday evening, another meeting between the alliance leaders was held at the chief minister’s residence after the NCP threatened to quit.
Gujarat trouble
The protest by local leaders and workers has forced the BJP to drop two candidates even in Gujarat, a state where the party holds complete sway.
Ranjanben Bhatt, the sitting MP from the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, was fielded again by the party. However, the protests by her own party workers compelled Ranjanben to withdraw her nomination on Saturday. The withdrawal came almost 10 days after the central BJP announced her name.