Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday urged Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar to pass on the baton to the new generation, pointing to the retirement age of government servants and BJP leaders.

While addressing the MLAs and MLCs gathered at a key meet at MET College in Mumbai, Ajit said, “You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar). But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60, even in politics, BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. This allows the new generation to rise. You (Sharad Pawar) give us your blessings….The other day, he went to YB Chavan memorial…I have also been there, but you are 83, aren’t you going to stop? Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life.”

“Why is he so adamant and not ready to pass the baton to the new generation?” Ajit Pawar asked in a combative tone.

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Addressing the party workers, Pawar said his faction is joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the development of the state and the fund for the MLAs.

“In 1999, Pawar Saheb said Sonia Gandhi was a foreigner. She can’t be our PM. We listened to him. Bhubal Saheb held a rally at Shivaji Park. And we went to Maharashtra, campaigned, and won 75 seats. Everyone got important portfolios. But I got Krishna Khore Mahamandal, which was limited to 6 districts. But I worked relentlessly. I have a grip on governance,” he said.

Hitting out at his uncle and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said that Maharashtra would have had a CM from NCP if it would have not given the top post to Congress after the 2004 Assembly elections. “In the 2004 Vidhan Sabha election, NCP had more MLAs than the Congress. Had we not given the chief minister post to Congress at that time, till date, Maharashtra would have had a Chief Minister only from Nationalist Congress Party,” Maharashtra Deputy CM said.

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Furthermore, while making a sensational claim, Ajit Pawar said, “In 2017, we were told by Sahard Pawar to hold discussions with Devendra Fadanvis, and Chandrakant Patil to finalise portfolio sharing. Me, Sunil Tatkare, and Jayant Patil were present. In Delhi, Pawar saheb met the BJP high command. The BJP told him that they wouldn’t ditch Shiv Sena and asked to form a three-party government. Pawar saheb did not agree and said ‘we won’t form a government with Shiv Sena.”

He also mocked the Patna Opposition meet and said “Leaders left after having food”.

‘Sharad Pawar our leader, guru’

“Why do we need to do this? It is a big question. Sharad Pawar saheb is our leader and guru. There is no question about it. But now the kind of politics is happening in the country you are all witnessing,” Ajit Pawar said.

“We want to work for SC, STs, OBCs and minorities. It is our dream to work for them. How did he become CM? The same situation arose then. Vasantdada Patil’s government collapsed and Sharad Pawar formed PULOD and became CM in 1978,” Ajit Pawar said, recounting days when the party was founded.

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“The state needs a charismatic leader. Sharad Pawar is our inspiration. NCP means development for people,” Ajit Pawar said.

‘Have support of 40 MLAs’

In today’s meeting, Ajit Pawar said that many MLAs who pledged support to them have not turned up at the meeting, however, he claimed that a few MLAs at the Sharad Pawar camp are in touch with him.

Meanwhile, the factional fight has reached the doorstep of the Election Commission (EC) with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support.

“More than 40 MLAs are here with us, some of them are stuck in traffic, some are in other states, but they have signed affidavits. It’s true that people will ask about (legal) action after this… We have taken all things into consideration before taking this step,” Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said.

Also Read: Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar does an Eknath Shinde to NCP in 2019 deja vu

‘Took decision after proper consideration’

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal, belonging to the NCP’s Ajit Pawar camp, on Wednesday said they took the decision of joining the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra after “proper consideration”.

NCP leader Praful Patel at MET Bandra, said “When we could accept the ideology of Shiv Sena, then what is the objection in going with BJP? We have joined this alliance as an independent entity. Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah went with BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and they are now part of the joint opposition. I went to the joint opposition meeting in Patna with Sharad Pawar, and I felt like laughing when I saw the scene there. There were 17 opposition parties there, 7 of them have only 1 MP in the Lok Sabha and there is one party that has 0 MPs. They claim they will bring change… This decision (of joining NDA) we have taken is for the nation and our party and not for personal gain.”