Not a googly, but insatiable hunger for power: BJP leader Shelar on Pawar's remarks

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar on Friday lambasted Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar over his remarks on government formation in Maharashtra in 2019, saying they reflected his ''insatiable hunger'' for power, latest comments in the ongoing war of words between the two parties.

Shelar said Pawar's remarks, made at a press conference in Pune, also prove Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was right in revolting against the Shiv Sena leadership last year, and maintained his party was ready for a public discussion on events surrounding the formation of the short-lived Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government.

The former Union Agriculture minister on Thursday said ''certain things were done'' after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections to expose the BJP and show how far it can go to gain power.

The veteran politician was responding to questions about BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's claim, made during an interview on Wednesday, that Pawar had agreed to form a government with the national party, but backed out at the last moment.

The NCP president said his father-in-law (Test player Sadu Shinde) was a googly bowler, and he himself served as chairman of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and further added, ''so, without playing cricket, I knew where and when to bowl a googly.'' “We do not believe this is a googly. This is an insatiable hunger for power. After Devendra ji spoke on the issue, half truth has come out. We are ready for a public discussion for this. The remarks of Sharad Pawar prove the revolt of Eknath Shinde was right,” Shelar, an MLA, said.

The former state minister said Shinde was right when he said the NCP, an ally of the Shiv Sena (UBT), should not be trusted because it can change its stand anytime.

Fadnavis was sworn-in as chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar as his deputy in early morning hours at the Raj Bhavan on November 23, 2019, but their government lasted for just 80 hours. Later, the united Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress joined hands to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government which collapsed in June 2022.