NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Thursday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of displaying "arrogance" born out of power over his remarks on the possible merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions.
Fadnavis had said on Tuesday that only NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who lead the rival factions, could clarify whether the two parties would reunite. He also maintained that any merger would require consultations with the BJP, the largest constituent of the ruling coalition.
Reacting to the remarks in a post on X, Rohit Pawar said Fadnavis's comments reflected the arrogance of those in power. He also accused the BJP and its leaders of using "blackmail" in politics and said they should refrain from commenting on the proposed merger.
Referring to the Mundhwa land deal controversy and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections in Pune district, the MLA claimed that attempts had been made to "blackmail" his uncle, late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, but that he had not yielded to the BJP.
"Who was blackmailing Ajitdada, and who gave orders to blackmail him?" Rohit Pawar asked.
Rohit Pawar also referred to the controversial Mundhwa land deal involving his cousin Parth Pawar, son of Ajit Pawar. Parth, a Rajya Sabha MP, is a majority partner in Amadea Enterprises LLP, which purchased a 40-acre government-owned plot in Pune's upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore, allegedly well below its market value. The company was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty.
An FIR has been registered against several people for their alleged role in facilitating the transaction.
The Mundhwa land deal had also become a political issue during the PCMC elections in January, when a BJP leader raised the matter against Ajit Pawar, who was then the deputy chief minister.
Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash in January this year. Following his death, his wife Sunetra Pawar took over as NCP chief and became deputy chief minister. Speculation about a merger between the two NCP factions has intensified since then.
The merger buzz gained momentum last week after several leaders of the Sunetra Pawar-led NCP, including Praful Patel and Parth Pawar, met Sharad Pawar.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare and party leader Dhananjay Munde met Fadnavis on Wednesday amid renewed speculation over a possible merger. There have also been reports of the ruling NCP seeking the finance portfolio, currently held by Fadnavis.
(With inputs from PTI)
