NCP Split: Sharad Pawar Reaping What He Has Sown, Says BJP's Girish Mahajan

Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Girish Mahajan on Monday said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar was reaping what he had sown.

The party founded by Pawar suffered a vertical split on Sunday after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. Ajit Pawar was made deputy chief minister, while the other eight were sworn in as ministers. Speaking to reporters here, Mahajan said, "I heard Sharad Pawar describing it (Sunday's developments) as something that demeaned democratic procedures. He called it anti-democratic."

"He cannot have double standards. He is reaping what he has sown. When he does such things then it is democratic. His MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, have left him. We wish him luck for his statewide tour," Mahajan added. Mahajan referred to Sharad Pawar toppling the Vasantdada Patil government in the state in 1978.

Queried on portfolio distribution after the joining of the NCP faction, Mahajan said it was the prerogative of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. "Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, (Chhagan) Bhujbal and other leaders met Fadnavis. They will discuss it and take a decision," he added.

Asked about the Congress taunting the BJP for levelling allegations of corruption against NCP leaders and then joining hands with them, Mahajan said levelling charges against each other is part of politics, adding that there is uncertainty in politics as well. He denied allegations that the BJP was busy breaking the NCP while victims of Saturday's horrific bus accident on Samruddhi Expressway were being cremated.

"The cremation of the victims started around noon on Sunday. The swearing-in ceremony took place around 3 pm. I was personally there (Sindkhedraja) for two days and oversaw treatment of injured and handing over of bodies to kin," he claimed.