Some left NCP due to ED probe: Pawar's jibe at Ajit

Some members left the Nationalist Congress as the Centre had launched an inquiry against them through the Enforcement Directorate (ED), party chief Sharad Pawar said in Pune on Sunday.

Without taking the name of his nephew Ajit Pawar who led the group of rebel MLAs to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, Pawar said their claim that they wanted to be a part of the government for the cause of development was not true.

"There were some changes in the past. Some of our members left us. They (the Ajit Pawar faction) say they went for development but this is not at all true. The Centre had launched an ED inquiry against them and they have left the NCP. Some members (from the Ajit Pawar faction) were told to join them (BJP) or they will be sent somewhere else," Pawar claimed.

He was addressing NCP workers at a social media meeting organised by the party.

"However, some members were ready to face the inquiry. (Ex-home minister) Anil Deshmukh was in jail for 14 months. Even Deshmukh was asked to change his role (loyalty) but he stood firm on his decision (to not quit NCP)," Pawar said.

While Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister, eight other MLAs of NCP were sworn in as ministers in July.

The Pawar senior said the state government should pay attention to the problems being faced by common people in Maharashtra.

"The state is facing issues such as unemployment, farmers are also suffering," he added.