Party's Tie-Up With Ajit Pawar's NCP "Incompatible Marriage": BJP Leader

BJP Spokesperson Ganesh Hake on Saturday said that his party's alliance with NCP is like an 'incompatible marriage' and the party will suffer badly if they continue with the alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections.

"The truth is that neither they (NCP) like that alliance nor we (BJP) like it. Our alliance with them is like an association with undeserving people. This alliance is an incompatible marriage. We will suffer badly if we continue with this alliance during the Assembly election," Mr Hake said.

Mr Hake, who comes from the Latur district in the Marathwada region, claimed that the BJP's alliance with NCP is "unfortunate".

He also alleged that during the Lok Sabha elections, the NCP did not work for BJP nominees in a true spirit of alliance.

"The NCP legislator Balasaheb Patil from Ahmedpur Assembly constituency from Latur district did not work for the BJP candidate who was ultimately defeated," Mr Hake said.

"Did NCP work for BJP's Lok Sabha nominee from Latur? Did NCP follow the alliance dharma in true letter and spirit? Instead, NCP legislators, leaders, and activists were sitting in the Congress camp and working against the BJP nominee by taking money from us," he alleged.

NCP legislator Amol Mitkari taunted Mr Hake, saying that he is a gentleman, righteous and intelligent person but why he is not taken seriously by the BJP, is a puzzle to a common worker like him.

"Mr Hake, who has been marginalised for so many years in his party, has criticised NCP with the hope that he will get a nomination for the Assembly election. He made such remarks to get a new energy," he said.

Earlier, Shiv Sena Minister Tanaji Sawant said: "I am a hardcore Shiv Sainik. I have never gotten along with Congress and NCP since I was a student. Today, even if I sit next to NCP in the Cabinet, when I come out I vomit. This cannot be tolerated."

NCP Chief Spokesperson Umesh Patil said that NCP should get out of the MahaYuti alliance and also demanded that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should sack Tanaji Sawant from the ministry.

State NCP Chief Sunil Mr Tatkare also criticised Mr Sawant for his anti-alliance remarks.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have been repeatedly asking their party cadres to strengthen the MahaYuti to take strongly on the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the upcoming Assembly election.

However, the scathing remarks by Mr Sawant and Mr Hake have exposed the widening rift in the MahaYuti which is under attack from Maha Vikas Aghadi over many issues concerning the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)