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Mumbai: All the leaders of the party were happy that the Nationalist Congress Party under the leadership of Ajit Pawar participated in the grand coalition government with the BJP. Because, of course, getting rid of ED… Everyone breathed a sigh of relief because of that… For me, getting rid of ED was like a rebirth…’ unequivocally points out NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader and State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal. When the election campaign is in full swing, this statement of a senior leader like Bhujbal can give a different direction to politics. “Since I am an OBC, central agencies followed me. If I was from a higher caste, I would not have been treated like this’, Bhujbal’s statement may add fuel to the fire. Two years ago on July 2, 2023, Ajit Dada left Sharad Pawar’s hand and along with other prominent leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Sunil Tatkare etc. went under the auspices of BJP. What Eknath Shinde did to Shiv Sena, Ajit Dada did to NCP. BJP is the common thread in both. Also there is another similarity. Like many of Eknath Shinde’s associates, many of Ajitdad’s associates faced various charges and some were under investigation by the central agencies. Ajitdada himself was in trouble with ED. Even then, it was said that all of them left the party and joined the BJP due to the same fear. Bhujbal’s confession has sealed the discussion. Bhujbal does not stop talking. “After serving two-and-a-half years in jail, I got another ED notice while on bail. At the age of seventy-five, there was a question of how many times he would have to face interrogations. Earlier, another leader of NCP, Anil Deshmukh, was arrested by ED on charges of Rs 100 crores’, Bhujbal gives evidence of Deshmukh’s allegations. He alleges that Deshmukh was told that ‘Join the BJP while in jail and you will be released’. Bhujbal’s reaction was that now they must be trying to trap me again. ‘I still lose sleep remembering the days in prison. Now even at this age, ED is not ready to leave my back’, says Bhujbal. All these details have been recorded in the book ‘2024: The Election That Surprised India’ by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. The chapter titled ‘Hamare Saath ED Hai’ in this book explores the alleged truth behind state politics and party politics. Various leaders like Ajit Pawar, his wife Sunetra, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Hasan Mushrif, Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik had to face the ED investigations. Me, Deshmukh and Malik were arrested by ED. At such a time, everyone felt that there was no escape without joining hands with Prime Minister Modi or BJP. We raised this issue with party president Sharad Pawar. Pawar understood all this. But they were not in favor of going with BJP. Then finally the MLAs of the party under the leadership of Ajit Pawar decided to join hands with the BJP. This decision was acceptable to most of the party leaders. Bhujbal expressed his feeling that by going with the BJP, everyone was freed from the ED’s investigation. Ajit Pawar was also investigated by the ED. Ajit Pawar was besieged over the sale of the sugar factory. Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, had the largest share capital in this factory. When it was pointed out to Ajit Pawar that his wife might be arrested, Ajit Dada was also sweating, informed a leader of NCP. Ajit Pawar immediately met Sharad Pawar along with Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare. How to solve this was decided. ED action was taken against Praful Patel. Four floors of their building were seized by the ED. ED investigation of Sunil Tatkare was also started. These three leaders had proposed to Sharad Pawar that they will join hands with BJP. After Sharad Pawar refused to go with the BJP, Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel resumed negotiations with the BJP leaders. In return for joining hands with the BJP, the cases of the leaders under ED investigation will be closed or the system will not pursue them. But Praful Patel denied this claim. “There were two options in front of us: a scattered opposition or Modi who would give a stable government. We preferred a stable government’ claimed Patel.
