Sachin Waze case: Deshmukh status quo may strain Sena-NCP ties

MUMBAI: With the NCP taking a firm stand that home minister Anil Deshmukh will not resign from the council of ministers following former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations against him, Shiv Sena finds itself in a spot.

The NCP move could strain the party’s equations with the Sena amidst the unprecedented political crisis that has hit the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime in the state, said analysts.

There is no question of Deshmukh stepping down from the state cabinet as Singh’s charges are baseless, Pawar reiterated at a press conference on Monday. Pawar left it to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to seek Deshmukh’s resignation or otherwise. “It’s the chief minister’s prerogative,” he added.

Clearly, with Pawar throwing his weight behind Deshmukh, Thackeray cannot press for the latter’s resignation, said observers. Deshmukh’s continued presence in the cabinet, though, may trigger public criticism against the MVA, of which Thackeray is the executive head.

Also, the CM may find it difficult to placate his ministers if he retains Deshmukh as home minister, they added. Many in the Sena want Deshmukh to put in his papers in view of the magnitude of Singh’s charges.

A section in the Sena is of the opinion that the NCP, which is in charge of the key home portfolio, can’t escape its responsibility and Thackeray alone can’t be made to face public ire.

The Sainiks are quick to point out that Thackeray had sought party minister Sanjay Rathod’s resignation following an uproar over the alleged suicide of a Pune girl last month. “Uddhavji immediately sacked Rathod. Now, the NCP too should give marching orders to Deshmukh in view of the seriousness of Singh’s allegations,” said one.

By asking Thackeray to tackle the resignation issue, the NCP could well be shifting the burden on the CM, said Mantralay mandarins.

Sources said the NCP was keen to keep away from the Singh imbroglio which, a party strategist explained, deviates from the “core issue”: Security threat scare to industrialist Mukesh Ambani. “The emphasis should be on how a car filled with gelatin sticks was found parked outside Ambani’s residence,” he said. Pawar too repeatedly said the focus should not swerve from the security angle.

Political experts said Pawar, who scripted the MVA story to keep the BJP from assuming office in November 2019, could be miffed with the Sena for its knee-jerk reaction to the political turmoil that will test the MVA’s resilience. “During his long stint in public life Pawarsaheb has weathered countless political storms. It is quite likely he thinks that the Sena lacks the tact to resolve knotty political issues,” said an NCP activist.