Maharashtra: Can't guarantee minority BJP government's survival, says NCP

PUNE: NCP cannot guarantee the survival of the Devendra Fadnavis government for five years, said party leader Ajit Pawar, adding that the minority BJP regime should have gone for a division of votes instead of getting the stamp of approval through a voice vote amid chaos during the confidence motion on Wednesday.

"Its (government's) survival depends on how well it performs. We have announced issue-based support and will continue to support on the matters which are of importance to common people," said Pawar, when asked if his party would vote in the government's favour if it faces a no-trust motion. "There is not even a distant possibility of NCP joining the BJP government in the state," he added, a day after posing with brooms to join PM Modi's Swachh Bharat campaign.

Expressing unhappiness over the voice vote, he said: "It is my personal opinion that people of the state must know how much support the government enjoys in the assembly. The division of votes was a must. It would have avoided all confusion about the government's ability to prove majority. We had announced our support and the government was in a position to prove majority if division of votes had taken place."

Pawar's statement came as a surprise to many in NCP and BJP as there is buzz in political circles that the voice vote strategy was decided by the BJP after consultations with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Notably, Pawar made it very clear these comments were his personal opinion and not the party stand.

"National media was looking at the state assembly. The government had not submitted a letter mentioning the names of 145 MLAs to the governor, saying it had majority to form the government. There was a lack of floor management and there was utter chaos in the House when the motion was tabled. We didn't even realize when the motion was approved," said Pawar, who was deputy chief minister in the last Congress-NCP regime.

The BJP government on Wednesday passed the confidence motion by a voice vote, amid protests by former ally Shiv Sena and Congress. It led to ugly scenes of agitation by MLAs and governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao was injured while trying to enter the assembly. Five Congress legislators have been suspended and a probe is on.

Pawar said NCP announced its unconditional support to BJP because the state cannot afford another election immediately. Asked if the move was prompted by BJP's announcement to probe alleged corruption cases against former NCP ministers, Pawar said: "Now, enough is enough. All these years we are facing baseless allegations. But now we won't tolerate this. There is a sustained campaign to malign us. If the BJP wants to conduct a probe, they are free to do so."