Ajit Pawar walks tightrope in Maharashtra alliance: Dials Kirit Somaiya, slams VHP, resists Hindi push

Deputy CM dials Somaiya over mosque visits, opposes Hindi push, flags VHP role in riots

With the opposition weakened in Maharashtra, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has emerged as a voice of restraint within the government, often checking excesses by alliance partner BJP. From stepping in after Muslim groups objected to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's mosque visits over loudspeakers, to opposing the push for Hindi in primary schools and criticising the VHP-Bajrang Dal over Nagpur riots, Pawar is drawing clear lines that his tie-up with BJP is transactional, not ideological.

Pawar's posture has triggered debate within political circles, with some seeing it as positioning ahead of future electoral negotiations, while others view it as a calculated effort to maintain NCP(A)'s identity amid ideological discomfort. Party insiders claim that Pawar wants to avoid alienating core voter groups, especially minorities and secular-minded voters. His moves have also reignited talk about a possible shift in post-2024 equations in Maharashtra's volatile political theatre.