KOLHAPUR: Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday admitted that NCP workers were in a quandary after the party’s senior leaders announced unconditional support to the BJP to form government in Maharashtra hours after the assembly election results in October last year.

While announcing state-wide protest on toll and local body tax (LBT), Pawar slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led government alleging that it failed to come to true to its commitments. He was speaking while addressing a congregation of party workers, the first since the NCP’s debacle in the assembly elections.

Pawar also questioned Hatkanangale MP Raju Shetti and his party Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS) asking why they are silent despite sugar factories not paying fair and remuneration price (FRP) to the growers this season.

Pawar said, “I must confess that the party workers were in a quandary when senior leaders announced unconditional support to the BJP. However, I want to make clear that the BJP and Shiv Sena are our main opposition parties. We cannot tie-up with them and alliance is possible only with like-minded parties.”

While the counting of votes for the assembly elections was still underway on October 15 last, senior NCP leader Praful Patel had announced unconditional support to the BJP to form government, leaving the party workers surprised. However, Pawar did not mention whether he opposed the decision.

Criticizing Shetti, Pawar said during the NCP-Congress regime, the SSS used to protest at Baramati, Indapur and Karad. “Why don’t they protest at Nagpur? At least six BJP leaders are associated with the sugar industry. We will expose them if their factories have paid appropriate price to the sugarcane growers.”

Pawar also slammed the government for forming another committee over Kolhapur’s toll issue. With this approach, the government cannot solve the issue, he said.

NCP’s workers Shivaji Khot and Sheela Jadhav, who were speaking for the first time before Pawar, openly told him that grassroots level workers never get a chance to present their views in public meetings. They said the NCP is not customized to play the role of opposition party.

Taking a cue from them, Pawar appealed to the senior leaders to make space for younger leadership. “I appeal to elder leaders to shift themselves in advisory role. Let younger people take charge of the party. Your every view will be heard, but let them be at the leadership position,” he added.

‘Why power tariff concessions at Mihan only?’

Pawar asked the government why it is giving power at subsidized rates to the industries willing to set up their units at Mihan in Nagpur. Pawar said, “I am a strong supporter of united Maharashtra. But this government is practising discrimination. If the industrialists in Kolhapur are paying certain tariff, then why the power ministry is allowing subsidy for Mihan Shivaji Khot and Sheela Jadhav only?”

Development of the long-pending Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur, popularly known as Mihan, was on Fadnavis’s agenda during the assembly election campaign.

