Aurangabad: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday claimed that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil didn’t allow his colleague Ajit Pawar to address the national convention of their party.
Shinde, who heads the rebel Shiv Sena faction, claimed that Jayant Patil, the president of Maharashtra NCP, wanted to become the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly (after the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June), but Ajit Pawar used his “power” to keep Patil away.
Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, had left the stage during the NCP’s convention in Delhi on Sunday when attendees were demanding that he speak. It was speculated that he was having a cold war with Jayant Patil.
“Jayant Patil wanted to be the Leader of Opposition. But Ajit Pawar used his power to keep him away. On Sunday, Patil didn’t let Ajit Pawar deliver his speech in Delhi (NCP convention). This is their internal matter. I don’t want to comment on it,” Shinde claimed while addressing a rally at Paithan in the Aurangabad district.
Earlier in the day, Ajit Pawar had said neither he was unhappy with his party nor it has neglected him and blamed the media for blowing out of proportion his walking off the stage, adding that it was for a washroom break.
Shinde also clarified his stand over Jayant Patil’s remarks questioning his (CM’s) presence at the felicitation event of Chief Justice of India U U Lalit.
“We went to the function on the invitation. If anyone from our land (Maharashtra) rises to the top position, I think it is a matter of pride and happiness for all of us,” Shinde said.
The Opposition had questioned Shinde’s presence at the event at a time the Supreme Court is hearing the pleas of the rebel camp led by him and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on a host of issues.
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