‘Knew BJP was keen on breaking NCP, didn't know of Ajit joining hands’: Sharad Pawar's nephew Rohit

Speaking to reporters in Pune, Rohit Pawar said, “We had no clue of Ajit Pawar joining hands with BJP. But BJP was keen on breaking the NCP. We knew this much.”

Nationalist Congress Party leader Rohit Pawar said Monday senior leaders knew about the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's plan to 'break the NCP' and also claimed that they did not expect party boss Sharad Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar, to lead a revolt from within. Rohit - Sharad Pawar's grandnephew was speaking a day after Ajit Pawar broke ranks and joined the BJP, and was swiftly sworn in as Maharashtra's second deputy chief minister.

NCP Leader Ajit Pawar interacts with Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, while oath taking ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. (Hindustan Times)

"We had no clue of Ajit Pawar joining hands with BJP... but BJP was keen on breaking the NCP. We knew this much," Rohit told reporters in Pune. Rohit stressed he would not follow him out of the NCP but insisted his 'respect' for Ajit would not change.

“My respect for Ajit kaka will be the same even after what has happened. In my personal life, he has helped me a lot... but in politics, the thought process of a party is very important.”

Rohit Pawar also seemed to play down the impact of Ajit Pawar's betrayal on the NCP.

"Why a particular individual has gone there... I won’t comment on it. But why we are here... that is more important and that is the thought process. I know it is a very tough path for all of us but when people are with you, the path looks very simple."

Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister in the presence of chief minister Eknath Shinde - who led the revolt last year that split ex chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and felled the then-ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which included the NCP.

Ajit Pawar joins former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as Shinde's deputy; Fadnavis was CM in the BJP-Sena government that was voted out in the last Assembly election.

As many as 37 lawmakers have reportedly walked out of the NCP and into the BJP and 10 of them, including Pawar, have been inducted into the cabinet of ministers.

This is the latest controversy in Maharashtra politics, which has been roiling since the results of the 2019 election caused a split between the BJP and Sena, and brought the Congress and NCP to power in an unlikely alliance with Thackeray.

Referring to the twists and turns of the past four years - and with one eye on next year's Assembly election - Rohit Pawar said, "Whatever is going on in Maharashtra for the past year... those who have voted during the last assembly election also did not like the recent incident... hence many think their votes were wasted."

"I think Eknath Shinde will have very different issues to worry about. He should think about his party first. As far as dada (Ajit Pawar) is concerned, or if you look at other people who have indirectly joined the BJP to some extent... most of them have enjoyed different posts for a very long time. So Mr Shinde should not worry about our party."

"What he should worry about are the people who are or were interested in becoming ministers in this cabinet... who won’t get the chance because new people have been inducted in the cabinet from another party."