Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar on Monday claimed that the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had no moral ground as it did not have the blessings of voters. He said that Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar would prove useful to the ruling coalition because of his wide political and administrative experience. Shelar said this to a Marathi news channel in Tuljapur in Osmanabad district of central Maharashtra.
What did Shelar say on the allocation of portfolios?
On the question of allotment of portfolios to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and eight other rebel NCP MLAs, who joined the state cabinet on July 2, Shelar said discussions are on on the issue.
Shelar asked- Did the MVA government get the blessings of the people?
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar Eknath ShindeWhen asked about joining the Devendra Fadnavis government, Shelar said, “Whoever will fight with us morally, we will fight in the same way. But if someone fights with us unethically, we will also fight in the same way. What was the moral basis of the (then) MVA (government)? …did it have the blessings of the people (voters).”
‘Ajit Pawar is useful for the government because of his experience’
Maharashtra has witnessed rebellion of MLAs in two parties, Shiv Sena and NCP, in the last one year, on this changed scenario, Shelar said the leaders are busy fighting for their survival. He said, “Today the leaders of Maharashtra are busy fighting for their survival. Ajit Pawar is useful (to the Shiv Sena-BJP ruling alliance) because of his leadership qualities and experience.” On NCP president Sharad Pawar’s allegation of division of regional parties on the BJP, Shelar said he was speaking “incomplete truth”.
