Sharad Pawar takes swipe at Ajit Pawar, says 1978 move was not a rebellion

Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar on Monday took a swipe at Ajit Pawar's reference of the 1978 move by the former against then Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil and said that was not a rebellion but a decision taken after mutual consultation.

In 1978, Sharad Pawar had walked out of the government with 40 MLAs, leading to the collapse of the Patil dispensation. The NCP supremo, on July 18 that year, was sworn in as chief minister. He was the youngest on the post at 38.

On Sunday, while speaking in Baramati, Ajit Pawar, who split the NCP on July 2 and joined the Eknath Shinde government, had taken a swipe at Sharad Pawar by saying his stand came after crossing 60 while some went down that path at the age of 38.

The deputy chief minister had further claimed Yashwantrao Chavan had opposed Sharad Pawar's move as a leader like Vasantdada Patil was pushed aside.

''Vasantdada was a good leader but he was kept aside and the experiment with Janata Party was done. So it is not as if nobody in the past took the kind of step that I took. I took the decision after crossing 60, so everyone needs to understand my stand,'' Ajit Pawar had further said.

Hitting back, Sharad Pawar said, ''In our times, there was no rebellion. We used to sit and take decisions. So there was no such thing (rebellion). It was a mutual decision so there was no question of anyone complaining.'' Queried about the opposition bloc INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) not having a prime ministerial face, Sharad Pawar said even in the 1977 Lok Sabha polls (post Emergency) no one was projected as PM.

''After the polls, Moraraji Desai was made PM. There are no consequences if a face is not projected. If people are in the mood for change, they will take a call to bring about that change,'' the former Union minister asserted.

Asked that a poll survey had given the Maha Vikas Aghadi an edge over the ruling alliance in the 2024 LS polls, he said surveys are just indications and one should not jump to conclusions on the basis of such exercises.

Queried about Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar stating that his outfit could fight all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra if an alliance with the INDIA bloc does not materialise, Sharad Pawar said all political groups have the right to take their own decisions.

He said he had told Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in a meeting held in Delhi, to take Ambedkar along, adding that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had also contacted the VBA chief.

''I welcome the move by Ambedkar and our colleagues to work together,'' the NCP founder asserted.

Asked about issues related to ethanol, Pawar said ''this year something is lacking in the Centre's ethanol policy''.

Vehicles are increasing in the country and crude oil is being imported, while countries like America and Brazil are mixing ethanol and fuel on a large scale, he pointed out.

''To do something similar, we encouraged the production of ethanol in the last few years. This year, there is something lacking in the ethanol policy of the Centre. The Centre has solved some issues, but some big aspects remain unsolved. I have written about these to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (Union minister) Amit Shah. We expect a positive outcome,'' Sharad Pawar said.