Maharashtra: Political crisis looms as NCP's Ajit Pawar, MLAs missing
Maharashtra seems to be on the verge of yet another political crisis after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and seven party MLAs reportedly went missing. Pawar canceled his party meetings and left the official convoy, raising concerns that he may switch sides like in 2019 when he joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a short-lived government in Maharashtra.
Why does this story matter?
The development comes days after Pawar criticized Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) supremo and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for ignoring alerts from the NCP about a possible Sena rebellion last year. Notably, in 2019, Pawar quietly left the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and joined hands with the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis to form a government that lasted for only 72 hours.
Ajit Pawar might be preparing to switch sides: Report
Pawar reportedly canceled all his events scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Pune. Many speculated that he, along with seven MLAs of his party, might have gone "incommunicado" to prepare for switching sides, as per News18. Meanwhile, some claimed they may have left for Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is also touring the holy city on Sunday.
Pawar is known for such stunts
Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew, is known for such stunts, just like Shinde. Notably, he rebelled from the tripartite MVA coalition in 2019 and became the deputy CM in the BJP-led government. However, it was dissolved before the floor test. Meanwhile, the NCP rubbished the speculations and said Pawar was very much in Pune and would attend all his public commitments on Saturday.
Speculation triggered amid CM Shinde's scheduled Ayodhya visit
Shinde's planned visit to Ayodhya coincided with the potential of Pawar's rebellion. The last time Shinde went missing, he arrived in Guwahati, the capital of BJP-ruled Assam, and several Shiv Sena MLAs joined him, leading to the MVA government's toppling. The BJP governs Uttar Pradesh too and Shinde is on his first trip to Ayodhya since becoming Maharashtra's CM.
Know about 2022 crisis that toppled MVA government
In June of last year, a faction of Shiv Sena MLAs led by then-Cabinet Minister Shinde revolted against Thackeray's leadership, which led to the collapse of the MVA government in the state. The dissident MLAs subsequently joined the BJP and formed a government led by Shinde. Pawar blamed Thackeray for this, saying, "Some people remained inattentive, instead of showing urgency."
