The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) could use the Rajya Sabha byelection for the seat vacated by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to “teach a lesson” to the Congress. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and his trusted lieutenants in the party are considering steps to replicate the Rahul Bajaj pattern, wherein the NCP-sponsored Rahul Bajaj was elected to the Rajya Sabha with the support of Shiv Sena-BJP defeating Congress nominee Avinash Pande.
A NCP leader close to Ajit Pawar informed that the deputy chief minister has taken the dissolution of MSCB (Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank) board of directors personally. “There is a strong sentiment in the NCP that the Congress is running a covert campaign against Ajit Pawar. In the recently held state Assembly session, Opposition Leader Eknath Khadse had targeted Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar by raising several alleged land scam issues. Our party leaders suspect that Congress ministers provided the information to Mr Khadse. Hence, the NCP leaders have come to a conclusion that it is high time that scores are settled with the Congress,” he said.
Even Ajit Pawar had made his displeasure evident over the dissolution of MSCB board of directors. Though, the decision was taken by the Reserve Bank of India, Ajit Pawar had accused the Congress leadership in New Delhi for it.
According to sources from NCP, the party is mulling over the idea of putting up a candidate supported by the NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP against the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha election.
“Going by the arithmetic of the state legislature, the Congress candidate will easily win the election if he is supported by the NCP. But if NCP, Sena and BJP come together, the Congress candidate will face sure defeat,” the source said.