NCP chief Ajit Pawar (File photo) MUMBAI: Industrialist Gautam Adani was part of political talks between BJP and the undivided Sharad Pawar-led NCP five years ago, Ajit Pawar said on Tuesday. He was referring to discussions that happened just before he joined hands with BJP and formed a short-lived govt with Devendra Fadnavis as CM and himself as deputy CM in 2019. “Amit Shah, Gautam Adani, Praful Patel, Fadnavis & Pawar Saheb.
.. All were there.
..,” Ajit Pawar said in an interview to Newslaundry.
When asked about the ideological incompatibility between NCP and BJP and his having gone with BJP in spite of it, he said BJP formed the govt in Maharashtra in 2014 after NCP declared outside support. “When results of the 2014 assembly polls were out, NCP spokesperson Praful Patel declared we will support BJP from outside,” Ajit said. We do what our seniors tell us to: Ajit on 2019 BJP talks After 2014 assembly polls, NCP spokesperson Praful Patel had declared support for BJP from outside, Ajit Pawar said, adding NCP later declared the support was not permanent but only for forming govt, resulting in BJP and Sena coming together again.
Asked further on the subject, he said, “we do what our senior functionaries tell us” and referred to the ‘meeting’ before his early morning swearing-in with Fadnavis. “It has been five years, everyone knows where the meeting happened, it was in Delhi at a businessman’s house, everyone knows it. Yes, there were five meetings.
.. Amit .
