Ajit's praise for Modi raises eyebrows - Times of India

PUNE: A day after denying the possibility of a post-poll tie-up between the NCP and the BJP, Ajit Pawar told a vernacular television channel that Modi had proved that getting single-handed majority was possible.

Earlier, speaking to party workers in Baramati, the NCP leader urged people to give the party full majority to end alliance politics in Maharashtra.

Pawar told the TV channel, "Modi placed a dream before people, who accepted him wholeheartedly. He has proved wrong political pundits, the media and politicians who said that the days of single-party government were over. Like New Delhi, we need a single-party government in Maharashtra," he said.

Pawar's praise for Modi raised many an eyebrow, as there is already a buzz in political circles of a post-poll tie-up between the NCP and the BJP if no party gets a majority.

Though Congress's Prithviraj Chavan had a guarded reaction on the possibility of NCP joining hands with the BJP, he has already hinted that this scenario might emerge in the stateafter October 19

. "It's a different kind of coincidence that immediately after the BJP's decision, the NCP too decided to terminate ties with the Congress," he had said.

Ajit Pawar, meanwhile, continues to insist that the NCP needs to get single-handed majority so that it can implement its development agenda for the state. Speaking to supporters in Baramati Hostel in Pune, Pawar reiterated that if Narendra Modi can win majority for his party, NCP leadership in the state was capable of the same in the state.

Pawar said that he will crisscross the state for election campaign and would address just couple of rallies in his own Baramati assembly segment. "NCP has a bright chance this time to prove its strength and we should not lose this opportunity. There are limitations when you work in alliance government" he told party workers. Pawar was first elected to the state assembly in 1995 on a Congress ticket from Baramati. Later, he won successive elections in 1999, 2004 and 2009, from Baramati on an NCP ticket. All his poll victories have been with a record margin. This assembly constituency was represented by Sharad Pawar from 1978 to 1995. Interestingly plan of opposition parties to put a single candidate against Ajit Pawar to give me tough fight and avoid division of votes has gone for a toss with breakup between the BJP and Shiv Sena.

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