Congress: Ajit offered Sharad Pawar berth in Union Cabinet: Congress ex-CM | India News

MUMBAI: If a former chief minister from the Congress is to be believed, deputy CM Ajit Pawar during his ‘secret meeting’ with his uncle and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar made two specific offers to him for extending support to BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to the ex-CM, Ajit told Sharad Pawar that he would be accommodated in the Union Cabinet as agriculture minister or chairperson of Niti Aayog and his daughter Supriya Sule and state NCP president Jayant Patil would be accommodated at the Centre and in the state government respectively.

Sharad Pawar rejected the offer outright, saying he would not align with BJP in any manner, claimed Congress ex-CM who did not wish to be named.
Ajit Pawar’s ‘secret meeting’ with his uncle Sharad Pawar at the residence of a developer in Pune on Saturday has caused a flutter in Maharashtra’s political circles. MPCC president Nana Patole, UBT Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan of Congress had expressed displeasure over the ‘secret meeting.’

The contention of Congress and UBT Sena was that it was wrong for Sharad Pawar to meet his nephew, who has joined hands with BJP and become deputy CM in the Shinde-Fadnavis government, at a time the Maha Vikas Aghadi has embarked on a “mission” against BJP.
Both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, on the other hand, said that there was nothing wrong in meeting one’s kin. “Ajit Pawar is my nephew. Why is there such a hue and cry over a meeting between uncle and nephew?” asked Sharad Pawar.
However, Patole said the meeting was “not acceptable”. Sanjay Raut of UBT Sena and Patole said the meeting of the Pawars had figured in the discussions between Uddhav Thackeray and Patole that took place on Sunday evening. Patole said the matter had also been brought to the notice of Rahul Gandhi.
A UBT Sena leader said that the BJP leadership was fully aware of the fact that unless Sharad Pawar supported the ruling party, it would not be possible for it to achieve its target of winning 35 to 40 of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.