| In Short |
| Ajit Pawar’s NCP demands the immediate sacking of Minister Tanaji Sawant. |
| Sawant’s controversial remark about vomiting after sitting with NCP ministers has sparked outrage. |
| Ajit Pawar threatens to boycott cabinet meetings until Sawant is removed. |
| Growing tensions within the Mahayuti government could impact upcoming elections. |
| The stability of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra hangs in the balance. |
In a dramatic turn of events, the Ajit Pawar group has slapped an ultimatum on the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra. The party has demanded the immediate ouster of Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant for his controversial remark, which was made during a public event. The development has increased tensions in the ruling coalition with the NCP threatening to quit over the demand.
Tanaji Sawant’s Controversial Remarks
The storm broke when Tanaji Sawant, a very senior minister in the Shinde Sena, made an obscene remark during a public function in Dharashiv. Sawant had said, “I vomit after sitting with NCP ministers during cabinet meetings.” Their party members found this remark highly insulting, and that sparked off the outrage across the party.
NCP’s Strong Reaction
Responding quickly to the remarks by Sawant, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil, on Tuesday demanded that Sawant be forthwith sacked from the Mahayuti Cabinet. “Either Sawant remains in Mahayuti Cabinet or our party does. If he is not forthwith sacked, we will quit the government,” declared Patil. He also demanded that the party’s national president Ajit Pawar resign from the cabinet in protest.
Ajit Pawar’s Stance
Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, announced that he would not attend any cabinet meeting unless Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took serious action against Mr Sawant. As such, the Pawar faction firmly stood that apologies and explanations from Mr Sawant were unacceptable, and their demand was nothing but the removal of Mr Sawant from the government.
Growing Discomfort in the Coalition
The tension within the Mahayuti alliance, particularly between the Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, has been brewing for some time. NCP’s state chief Sunil Tatkare questioned Sawant’s standing within the government, emphasizing that the BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, had brought the NCP into the alliance after careful consideration.
Meanwhile, NCP’s (Sharad Pawar) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase criticized Ajit Pawar for tolerating such an insult, pointing out the growing discomfort within the ranks of the Shinde-led government. Tapase expressed disbelief that Ajit Pawar, once highly respected within the NCP, would compromise his self-respect for the sake of power.
Political Implications
This development has brought out the fragility of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra. The alliance between Shinde Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP has always been an uneasy one. Internal disagreements were often brewing inside the alliance with certain jags cropping up almost on a monthly basis. The recent remarks by Sawant and subsequent demands of the NCP have lent fresh steam to these tensions.
Impact on Upcoming Elections
The rift in Mahayuti can cost them dear in the forthcoming Legislative Assembly elections. Tapase, while attacking, said the NCP, under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, would not be able to get even 25 seats in the elections, far from the earlier expectations of 80 to 90 seats. The public sparring could thus embolden the opposition at the cost of an already weakened coalition.
The demand for ouster of Tanaji Sawant from the post has brought the Mahayuti government at the crossroads. With Ajit Pawar’s NCP threatening to pull out of the ruling coalition, the Chief Minister is left with no choice but to take a call on the issue to save his coalition government. The way this crisis would be handled by the government would decide the fate of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra.
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