All is well, had another event to attend: Ajit Pawar on leaving cabinet meet early
Mumbai, Oct 11: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday sought to scotch speculation over his leaving the state cabinet meeting early, and said all is well within the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and his NCP.
Speaking at a press conference here after inducting actor Sayaji Shinde in the Nationalist Congress Party, Pawar was non-committal about whether he would contest from the Baramati assembly seat, stating that the decision will be taken after seat-sharing is finalized.
“I had to leave early to attend a scheduled programme at Ahmedpur in Marathwada region,” the NCP chief said. “All the cabinet decisions taken yesterday have my approval,” he added.
Pawar's brief attendance at a crucial cabinet meeting in Mumbai Thursday had raised eyebrows, particularly as numerous financially significant decisions were taken in his absence even though he is the finance minister.
Thirty-eight decisions -- many of them having major financial implications -- were taken in the two-and-half hours after he had left.
“All is well and speculation about any dispute in the state cabinet meeting is baseless,” Pawar said.
"Too much is being read into it," he added.
The state cabinet can overrule objections of any department, Pawar said, when asked about the negative remarks by the finance department headed by him on populist schemes announced by the state government ahead of the assembly elections, likely to be announced in less than a week.
The seat-sharing talks among the Mahayuti alliance partners were going on smoothly, Pawar said.
"We will announce (outcome of the talks) when we feel like it," he said to a question.
Asked whether he would be contesting from his current Baramati assembly seat, Pawar gave no definite reply.
"Seat-sharing is yet to be done. After the Baramati seat is allotted to us, we will take a decision," he added.
Notably, his wife Sunetra Pawar was defeated by his estranged cousin and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction leader Supriya Sule from the Baramati Lok Sabha seat this year.
Sayaji Shinde would be the NCP's star campaigner in the elections, Pawar said, adding, "More people are slated to join us and it will happen in phases."
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
