Sharad Pawar claims several NCP leaders unhappy in Ajit Pawar faction, keeps doors open

Pune (Maharshtra) [India], March 11 (ANI): Amid the speculation of Ajit Pawar faction leader Nilesh Lanke joining the Sharad Pawar faction, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar claimed that several leaders are not comfortable with the other side (Ajit Pawar faction).
"I don't react on speculations... We are not in the business of being in contact with other leaders but I know several leaders are not comfortable on the other side (Ajit Pawar faction)," NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar said.
The stress in the Ajit Pawar faction comes after it was reported that the faction would only get limited seats in an alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) in the coming Lok Sabha election.
Speaking on the resignation of the Election Commissioner, He said, "One of the members of the Election Commission has resigned..and the reason for his resignation wasn't made public ...therefore We are worried."
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar also alleged that the BJP-led government is misusing agencies like the Directorate of Enforcement to create fear among the opposition and called ED the "supporting party" of the BJP.
Speaking to the reporters in Pune Pawar cited figures of ED actions between 2005 and 2023 and mentioned that of 5906 cases registered by ED, only 25 cases have been disposed off.
"0.42 per cent is the disposal rate and the conviction rate is just .40 per cent. The ED's budget has risen up from 300 crores in 2022 to Rs 404 crore. During this period of between 2005 and 2023, two governments were in power which includes UPA which we were also part of and during UPA's regime, ED investigated 26 leaders of which 5 were from Congress and 3 were from BJP. It shows that during the UPA regime, ED's action was not politically motivated but after 2014, not a single BJP leader has been questioned," Pawar said.
He added that all these figures raise doubt as to if ED's action under BJP was politically motivated.
"It indicates that ED has become a supporting party of BJP. BJP leaders know about the ED's actions in advance looks like these orders come from BJP," he said.
"During the dispensation of Manmohan Singh, ED was not misused but now the agency is being used to create fear among the opposition leaders," he said.
Recently Rohit Pawar the grandson of Appasaheb and, the elder brother of NCP founder Sharad Pawar has come under scanner...in a statement, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has provisionally attached properties worth Rs 50.2 crore under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of the Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (Kannad SSK sugar mill) belonging to the Baramati Agro Ltd. The action is connected with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam case.
The Baramati Agro Ltd is owned by NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar's grandnephew MLA Rohit Pawar. It has been alleged that the MSCB illegally sold sugar factories to M/s Baramati Agro Ltd.
He further questioned the ED's investigations, stating that ED had been misused to create terror among the opposition leaders during the election.
"During Manmohan Singh ED wasn't misused...but now it has been misused to create terror among the opposition leaders...ED is being misused to scare leaders from opposition parties during the election. During Congress-led UPA rule from 2004 to 2014, ED investigated 26 leaders ..out of these 5 were from Congress and 3 from BJP ...during UPA time ED wasn't taking action on a political basis but after 2014 Ed is taking action for political vendetta ..ED has become the supporting party of BJP ...BJP leaders in advance knows against whom ed will take action ...look like these come from BJP," the NCP (SP) Chief said. (ANI)