Two political earthquakes in 15 days, predicted Sule. Pawar has resigned, what’s the second one?

By Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam: There will be two political earthquakes, one in New Delhi and another in Maharashtra in the next 15 days, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule had predicted on April 19. May 2 is the thirteenth day of Supriya Sule’s prediction and we have already felt the first earthquake.

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar resigned as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday, ending his 24-year-long reign over the party.

Supriya Sule is the daughter of Sharad Pawar. She is also a Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, Sharad Pawar’s erstwhile constituency.

ALSO READ | We are a family, says Ajit Pawar after Sharad Pawar drops resignation bombshell

NCP MP Supriya Sule had on April 19 said there would be “two political earthquakes, one in New Delhi and another in Maharashtra in the next 15 days”.

The NCP MP had made the remark to reporters when she was asked about Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar’s statement that there would be (political) “bomb blasts” in the next 15 days in the state.

REMARKS AMID AJIT PAWAR-BJP BUZZ

The timing of Sule’s remarks was significant. A political potboiler has been playing out in Maharashtra and all eyes are on NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Ajit Pawar is Sharad Pawar’s nephew.

There is growing speculation about Ajit Pawar joining hands with the BJP in Maharashtra. And this comes within a year of rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde taking over as the chief minister of Maharashtra with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Almost 34 out of 53 Opposition MLAs had internally supported Ajit Pawar‘s intention to join hands with the BJP and be part of the BJP-Sena government, sources told India Today.

Prominent leaders, including Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Chagan Bhujbal, and Dhananjay Munde supported Ajit Pawar’s intentions, the sources said.

The rumours started rising before the Supreme Court is set to pronounce its judgment on the plea regarding the disqualification of 16 legislators who raised a banner of revolt to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. The rebellion was led by Eknath Shinde, who later joined hands with the BJP and formed the government.

Political commentators believe that in the case of an adverse ruling against Shinde’s Sena, the BJP and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will need the help of Ajit Pawar and his legislators.

ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar resigns as NCP chief

SHARAD PAWAR’S ‘ROTI TURNING’ REMARKS

Sharad Pawar’s announcement of resigning as the party chief also came days after he made a cryptic remark while addressing the party’s youth wing. In a statement that now sheds light on his decision, Sharad Pawar had said, “Someone told me that roti has to be turned at the right time. If not turned, it becomes bitter.”

Many had thought Sharad Pawar’s cryptic remark would be a hint at his nephew Ajit Pawar’s next move.

Ajit Pawar had reacted to Sharad Pawar’s cryptic remark and said it has been the NCP’s tradition to bring forward new faces.

On Tuesday, moments after Sharad Pawar announced his resignation, Ajit Pawar said a committee has been formed to choose the party’s next president. He assured that members of the committee are “people within the NCP family, be it myself or be it Supriya Sule.”

ALSO WATCH | Watch the moment Sharad Pawar resigned as NCP chief

WHAT’S NEXT: MAHARASHTRA TO DELHI?

On April 18, a day before Supriya Sule’s earthquake remarks, sources told India Today about the support of legislators for Ajit Pawar.

The MLAs were keen on joining the Maharashtra coalition as it might give them a breather from central agencies as many Opposition leaders, such as Ajit Pawar and his family, Praful Patel, and Hasan Mushreef, are facing Enforcement Directorate heat, the sources said.

But Ajit Pawar didn’t have the courage to split the NCP like what Shinde had done to the Shiv Sena. And several MLAs thought without Sharad Pawar’s blessing, no move would be fruitful.

Ajit Pawar too might have been fearful. His earlier dalliance with the BJP, which didn’t have Sharad Pawar’s support, had ended in heartbreak.

But this time, Sharad Pawar might have thought it was the right time to “turn the roti”.

The political scene now is pregnant with possibilities.

With Sharad Pawar’s resignation taking place on the 13th day after Supriya Sule’s statement, speculations are rising as to what will happen in Delhi in the next couple of days.

ALSO WATCH | What Ajit Pawar said moments after Sharad Pawar resigned as NCP chief