Rift Within Mahayuti Widens As Sena Minister Says "Sitting With NCP Leaders Makes Me Puke"

The presence of the Ajit Pawar–led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti government continues to foment trouble.

While leaders within Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are looking for opportunities elsewhere in order to win assembly seats currently represented by NCP Legislators, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena’s elected representatives too are publicly expressing displeasure against the NCP.

Tanaji Sawant, Shiv Sena leader and the Health Minister of the state, on August 29 (Thursday) expressed his angst for feeling compelled to share power with NCP.

At a public event in Dharashiv, Sawant said,"As a staunch Shiv Sainik, I never got along with Congress and NCP in my entire life. Our party’s ideology and their beliefs are different. Even in the cabinet meetings when I have to sit next to them (that is, Ministers from the NCP), I feel like I might vomit after coming out of the conference room."

Sena Minister Sawant’s statement did not go down well with the NCP. State NCP Chief Sunil Tatkare immediately dismissed Sawant’s statements by claiming that the latter’s opinions were inconsequential since senior BJP leaders in New Delhi themselves had asked Ajit Pawar to join Mahayuti.

However, after other Sena leaders too echoed Minister Sawant’s statement, NCP Spokesperson Umesh Patil on August 30 (Friday) demanded the latter’s resignation.

"This kind of statement is unacceptable. Now if Sawant is not sacked by the CM Shinde, who is also their party chief, we will quit the government. We are also going to ask our party president Ajit dada to immediately quit from the cabinet," NCP Spokesperson Patil said.

Meanwhile, increasing calls from BJP and Shiv Sena to remove NCP from the coalition has elicited tongue in cheek responses from the Sharad Pawar–led NCP (SP) which was formed after Ajit Pawar wrested control of the NCP from the senior leader.

"It’s a shame. We had never expected that someone like Ajit dada, who commands so much of respect and power, will trade off self respect to such an extent just for the sake of being in power," NCP (SP) Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase reportedly said.

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