Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to secularism and cited examples of avowedly secular politicians aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party on development plank, saying there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics.
Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, which is in an alliance with pro-Hindutva BJP and the Shiv Sena, noted Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and Nitish Kumar (Bihar) -- all secular politicians -- aligned with the BJP for the sake of development of their respective states.
Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress, was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre and served as Railways Minister in the Vajpayee cabinet. Naidu and Kumar-led parties are currently constituents of the BJP-headed ruling coalition.
"The Congress gave me the first opportunity to become a legislator. Later in 1999, I became an MLA of the (undivided) NCP. Ours is a secular ideology and we are committed to it," Ajit Pawar declared.
The deputy CM was speaking at an event in Mumbai where leaders and office-bearers of various political parties hailing from North Maharashtra, including the Congress and BJP, joined the NCP, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti bloc. These leaders included former Congress MP D S Ahire.
"Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu have taken different political stand (by aligning with the BJP) for the sake of development of their states and for getting big-ticket projects from the Centre," the MLA from Baramati in Pune district highlighted.
Justifying his alliance with the BJP, once his political and ideological rival, the veteran politician noted secular Congress and united NCP had also aligned with the undivided Shiv Sena, a Hindutvawadi party, in 2019 to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle, NCP founder Sharad Pawar, in July 2023 and joined hands with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine along with a bunch of MLAs.
"In the Mahayuti government, there are parties with different ideologies. Earlier, the Congress and the NCP had joined hands with the Shiv Sena. In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. Time waits for none. Political stands change as per prevailing situations," the deputy CM stressed.
Opportunity must be given to those with merit and leadership qualities, the NCP chief stated.
Ajit Pawar maintained caste enumeration, which will be part of the upcoming population Census, will provide clarity on socio-economic conditions of different sections of society, and asked NCP workers to help in the mega exercise.
He asked NCP workers to strive for probity, clean image in public life and ensure their conduct doesn't malign the party's image.
© 2025