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As 2024 polls draw closer, Sharad Pawar becomes rallying point for anti-BJP forces in Maharashtra, Centre

As 2024 polls draw closer, Sharad Pawar becomes rallying point for anti-BJP forces in Maharashtra, Centre

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday to evolve a consensus among non-BJP parties to forge a political front keeping the 2024 elections in sight. Though the efforts are still in the preliminary stage, the message that came across is that Pawar is playing the role of a catalyst to bring individuals across parties and states to the talking table.
Last week, Sharad Pawar had announced in Maharashtra that he would work to unite non-BJP parties, but he also made it very clear that he would not take any responsibility due to his age. Pawar’s refrain was that the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, failed to usher in the promised “achhe din” in the country. Most of the promises made in 2014 have remained on paper, he lamented.

At 81 years, Pawar is still among the most proactive leaders who extensively tour Maharashtra. However, the downfall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government after two and a half years has proved to be a setback for the NCP which was a crucial party in the coalition.
After the 2019 state Assembly elections that led to the Shiv Sena breaking ties with the BJP, Pawar had taken the initiative to unite the Congress, NCP and the Shiv Sena to form the tripartite MVA with the objective of keeping the BJP out of power in Maharashtra.
Yet, the experiment in the state was short-lived as the BJP succeeded in exploiting the unrest within the Shiv Sena, causing a vertical split in the party both in the state Legislative Assembly as well as the Parliament. Of the total 55 Shiv Sena MLAs, 40 walked out of the parent party under the leadership of Eknath Shinde whom the BJP rewarded with the most-coveted Chief Minister post.
Notwithstanding the setback, seasoned politician Pawar is now focused on building a front against the BJP ahead of the 2024 polls. In Maharashtra, during the Monsoon Session in August, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had announced that the Congress, NCP and the Sena will put up a united front in the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. They also intend to fight the BMC polls under the MVA banner.
What applies to Maharashtra is also being replicated at the national level. Pawar seems to have become the rallying point, but then this is not the first time that the idea of an anti-BJP front has been floated.
Sharad Pawar had on umpteen occasions in the past taken the lead to form a third front which was then perceived as a pressure group to fight both the Congress and the BJP. At times, the consolidation of such a group was seen as a method to bring regional parties to the centre stage of national politics.
A senior NCP state leader said, “Pawar has always worked to unite like-minded secular parties. The political agenda is to fight communal forces.” Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Pawar will once again continue the effort to get like-minded parties to put up a united front against the BJP.
Sources in the NCP, however, are cautious with one leader saying, ” At this stage, leaders are just meeting. Nothing concrete has emerged.”
Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, is likely to meet leaders across parties, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D Raja, Indian National Lok Dal’s Om Prakash Chautala and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, among others.
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Known for controversial social media posts, Ketaki Chitale had drawn ire of Maratha activists too

Known for controversial social media posts, Ketaki Chitale had drawn ire of Maratha activists too

The 29-year-old actor, a resident of Pune, has had a penchant for making controversial statements and has had brushes with the law for such statements on social media. She is also known to post videos of her confrontations with people.
The actor, who claims to suffer from epilepsy, also projects herself as an activist raising awareness about epilepsy with her Instagram handle epilepsy_warrior_queen.
She has acted in a few Marathi and Hindi tele serials.
Tension prevailed in front of the Kalamboli Police station after a group of people tried to attack the actor. They also threw ink on her. (Express photo)
Chitale had drawn the ire of Maratha activists last year when she had made a reference to Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji in a social media post. Maratha activists had felt that she was being disrespectful.
In March 2020, she had made a post commenting on Muslims, Parsis, Jains, Christians and Buddhists. She had mentioned that on December 6, every year, Buddhists travel for free to Mumbai, following which a case was filed against her by the Rabale police under the atrocities Act.
On Saturday, top leaders cutting across party lines condemned Chitale’s post against Pawar.
NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the actor needed treatment. “She needs good treatment in a good hospital for her mental illness.”
He added, “Maharashtra is a cultured state. One might have different viewpoints, there might be differences of opinion but no one should stoop so low in their criticism… Maharashtra does not have a such tradition.”
“The NCP women’s wing will give a nice thrashing to the actor. She has stooped very low and badly needs a thrashing,” NCP leader Rupali Thombre added.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, during his rally in Mumbai, castigated the actor. “Who are you to criticise the NCP chief ? …She seems to be someone from the fake Hindutva camp.”
BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis sought action against the actor. “The comment is unwarranted and highly derogatory for a senior leader like the NCP chief. There should be action against her… the law should take its own course.”
BJP leader and Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, too, said, “Pawar saheb is a senior leader. We don’t agree with the post and we don’t support such use of langauge.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “Sharad Pawar is like a Himalaya… Such posts would not affect him… We condemn the post. We should ignore such tendencies who indulge in such cheap gimmicks.”
Independent MP Navneet Rana, currently in a row with the state government over reciting Hanuman Chalisa outiside Thackeray’s Mumbai residence, described Sharad Pawar as a father figure. “I condemn the post against him. Ketaki Chitale should apologise.”
Rupali Chakankar, president of the State Women’s Commission, too, condemned the post. “The language used by the actor is highly derogatory. Coming as it does from a woman, it is more shocking and condemnable. The police should initiate appropriate action.”

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