BJP MP Raje Bhosale meets Ajit Pawar, triggers speculation

Bhosale, who hails from a royal family and is the 13th descendant of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had earlier met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar twice in the last two months.

सातारा नगरपरिषदेच्या नवीन वाढीव हद्दीतील विकास कामांना प्राथमिक सोयी सुविधा अंतर्गत अनुदान मिळणेबाबत आज उपमुख्यमंत्री श्री अजित पवार यांची भेट घेऊन प्रस्तावाद्वारे मागणी केली.@AjitPawarSpeaks pic.twitter.com/c1eL6Ptiol

— Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhonsle (@Chh_Udayanraje) February 5, 2022

Bhosale told the media: “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj always believed in sarva dharma samabhava (respect for all religions). I also believe in sarva paksha samabhava (respect for all political ideologies)”.

A section of BJP leaders, though, is not convinced. A party leader said, “Bhosale is a royal. You cannot take him for granted. He does what comes to his mind. In 2019, he got elected as NCP member in Lok Sabha polls. But he quit after four months, joined the BJP and campaigned in assembly polls. One never knows what he will do next.”

A senior BJP functionary said, “Bhosale’s meeting with Sharad Pawar was understandable. But when he meets Ajit Pawar also, it cannot be dismissed as apolitical.”

Sources said even though Bhosale’s relations with Sharad Pawar had always been cordial, he was at loggerheads with Ajit Pawar for a long time. In this context, the meeting with Ajit Pawar has led to speculations that Bhosale might be mending fences with the NCP once again.

NCP insiders said that in Satara District Central Cooperative Bank elections, the NCP-sponsored panel not only “accommodated” Bhosale but also ensured his election was without any contest.

Officially, the BJP underplayed Bhosale’s meeting with Ajit Pawar. “Bhosale is still our Rajya Sabha MP. He has neither announced to relinquish the RS membership nor join the NCP,” a party leader said.