Political Tensions: Ajit Pawar Denies Allegations on Party Switching

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar denied claims that Sunil Tatkare attempted to recruit members from the Sharad Pawar-led faction to switch allegiances. Jitendra Awhad alleged Tatkare sought defections, but some NCP (SP) MPs refuted receiving any such approach, dismissing the claims as attempts to unite the party.

In a strong rebuttal, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has denied allegations against Sunil Tatkare, a fellow party member. The allegations claimed that Tatkare attempted to persuade members of the rival Sharad Pawar faction to change their political allegiance, an accusation that Ajit Pawar firmly refutes.

The controversy stems from NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad's statement that Sunil Tatkare allegedly encouraged MPs to 'leave the father and daughter'—a reference to Sharad Pawar and Baramati MP Supriya Sule. This accusation, however, has been disputed by several NCP (SP) MPs, including Nilesh Lanke and Amar Kale, who stated that no such contact was made.

Addressing the media, Ajit Pawar dismissed the accusations as mere fabrications aimed at rallying the NCP (SP) following its defeat in the November assembly elections. He emphasized that such baseless claims only serve to divide rather than unify.

(With inputs from agencies.)