Amit Shah criticizes Sharad Pawar for betrayal politics, BJP's Maharashtra win ended it

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said veteran politician Sharad Pawar played politics of betrayal and treachery in Maharashtra from 1978, which was ended by BJP's massive victory in the assembly polls with its resolve to establish a stable government.

Addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi, Shah said the people of Maharashtra showed Pawar, who heads NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray their place by rejecting the politics of dynasty and betrayal in last year’s elections.

In the 2024 assembly elections, the Mahayuti coalition of BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena won 230 of the 288 seats in the state. BJP led the pack with 132 seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was reduced to 46 seats, with NCP (SP) and Sena (UBT) getting 10 and 20, respectively.

“Sharad Pawar started the politics of ‘daga-phatka’ (betrayal and treachery) in Maharashtra in 1978, which was rejected by people in 2024 (elections). Similarly, the politics of the dynasty and the betrayal of Uddhav Thackeray was also rejected.

“People showed Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray their place in the 2024 polls. They sent both home and made the real Shiv Sena and NCP victorious along with BJP,” he said. The undivided NCP and Shiv Sena have seen acrimonious splits in recent years.

The



elections also ended the politics of instability in Maharashtra “which began in 1978”, said Shah.

In 1978, Sharad Pawar, who later founded the NCP, walked out of the Vasantdada Patil government with 40 MLAs and became the CM.

The Shiv Sena (undivided) and the BJP contested the 2019 assembly polls together, but Thackeray snapped the alliance over the CM’s post. BJP has repeatedly mocked him over the move.

Calling BJP workers the real architects of the party’s massive victory in the state, Shah said, “You are the facilitator of the party’s victory from panchayat to Parliament. You have to make BJP invincible so that no one dares to betray it again.”

He asked BJP workers to focus on strengthening the party at the booth level and include women and farmers in large numbers.

Shah said Sharad Pawar held the CM’s post, headed several cooperative institutions and was also the Union agriculture minister, but couldn’t stop farmer suicides.

“Only the BJP can do it (prevent farmer suicides). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has devised several schemes for farmers’ welfare,” he said.

The Union minister asked the opposition to only “watch” the BJP government fulfilling all its assurances and not question how it will be done.