Sharad Pawar held 4 meetings with BJP in Delhi for forming govt in Maharashtra post-2019 assembly polls: Girish Mahajan
PTI
Nashik/Mumbai, September 11
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan on Monday claimed NCP chief Sharad Pawar held four meetings with BJP leaders in New Delhi after the 2019 assembly polls for the formation of a government in the state but eventually “back-stabbed” BJP.
He also claimed the early-morning swearing-in of Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister under Devendra Fadnavis as CM after the last Assembly polls was a “googly” of Sharad Pawar.
“After the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2019, Sharad Pawar held four meetings with BJP leaders in Delhi for government formation. The Shiv Sena (undivided) was acting pricey at that time. Pawar had even told our leaders not to worry,” Mahajan, a confidant of Fadnavis, told reporters in Nashik.
He said Sharad Pawar had always blamed the BJP for the government formed by Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, which lasted for 80 hours.
“But all along, it was the Pawar senior who was calling the shots. He was accompanied by Ajit Pawar in one of the (four) meetings (in Delhi) with BJP leaders….Sharad Pawar can never deny this,” he claimed.
Mahajan added that Sharad Pawar is traditionally known for back-stabbing.
“This time, he did it with the BJP. It was Pawar’s googly,” he claimed.
Mahajan said post-2014, many political events took place in Maharashtra and the NCP had an important role to play in them.
“After the early morning swearing-in ceremony (of Ajit Pawar and Fadnavis), Sharad Pawar said it was the BJP’s move but it was his own googly. He has a tradition of doing such things,” he claimed.
After the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party broke their alliance after the 2019 Assembly polls, in a surprise move, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar joined hands to form the government, which, however, collapsed in 80 hours.
The Shiv Sena (undivided) then joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav Thackeray.
Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as Deputy CM in July this year, while 8 MLAs of NCP took oath as ministers.
