Pawar In Aggressive Mood, Hits Out At Sena (U) And Congress

Although NCP president Sharad Pawar has staged a comeback, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray or the Congress in Maharashtra have refused to dilute their caustic stance towards the third partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. State Congress president Nana Patole and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan are in the forefront of humiliating the NCP time and again for various reasons. Patole has warned the NCP that its cosy relationship with the BJP could vitiate the atmosphere. Chavan has directly implied that a sizable faction of the NCP is still in cahoots with the BJP. Angered by the attacks, Pawar has hit back at Chavan. “Let Chavan find out his own place in the Congress party. Which category does he belongs to? A, B, C or D? Chavan’s cronies will tell you (the media) but not openly,” Pawar remarked. The NCP is already in an aggressive mood after Sena (Uddhav) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ censured Pawar’s decision to withdraw his resignation following a high-voltage drama. The most pointed statement in the ‘Saamana’ editorial was that Pawar had not been able to groom his successor. Firebrand OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal castigated Sena MP Sanjay Raut by telling him that Pawar’s political career was longer than Raut’s age. Pawar has thus sent out a signal that the NCP will not tolerate any such criticism and the verbal clashes are likely to become more thorny in the days to come.