Pune: Shiv Sena has distancing itself from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar's prime ministerial ambitions. Sena, which once backed him for the top post as Marathi manoos on Monday said it was strange that he was still harbouring the wish when his party was contesting just 22 seats from Maharashtra.
In an editorial titled Delhi door hai (Delhi is far away), in party mouthpiece Saamana, Sena chief Bal Thackeray claimed Pawar's posturing at an election rally in Pune made it clear that he was not going to back Congress prime ministerial candidate Manmohan Singh after the polls, implying that he (Pawar) was still in the race for the top job.
Referring to Pawar's statement on Saturday night that all United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents would come together after the elections and elect a leader and stake claim to form a government, Thackeray said Pawar had shown "his true colours" now after concluding seat-sharing talks with Congress in Maharashtra.
"Till the time negotiations for seat sharing between Congress and NCP were on, Pawar's refrain was that it was unrealistic for him to aspire for prime ministership in view of the small stature of his party and number of MPs. Now, after sealing the pact, he has started opposing Manmohan Singh," the editorial said.
Thackeray said Pawar had caused a flutter to serve his purpose when some time back he stated that a Maharashtrian should be given an opportunity to become the prime minster.
The editorial, however, did not mention the Shiv Sena's much publicised earlier stand that it would back Pawar as a Marathi in the race for prime ministership just as it did support Pratibha Patil in the Presidential election, going against the National Democratic Allinace (NDA) of which it is a constituent party.
"It is said that Pawar has friends in all states. But it should be kept in mind that all his friends too are eyeing for the top slot and are not expected to clear ground for him for prime ministership (if UPA comes to power)," Thackeray said.
"Pawar has joined hands with Congress not because he has faith in secularism. He wants to hijack the sinking ship of Congress, already deserted by Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan, and ensure that it gets stuck and anchored at a shore of his own choice," he said, adding Pawar was once again at "his old game of hoodwinking opponents by creating a fluid situation".
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