The BJP’s star campaigner and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “batenge toh katenge (divided we fall)” remark on Tuesday during his campaigning in Maharashtra seems to have exposed fissures between the ruling Mahayuti partners, with NCP chief Ajit Pawar distancing himself from such comments saying the state is committed to communal harmony.

The NCP has also decided not to hold rallies of the UP CM, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the constituencies it is contesting.

Targeting the Opposition Congress for “pitting one caste against another”, PM Modi, while addressing rallies in Dhule and Nashik on Friday coined the slogan, “Ek hai toh safe hai (Together, we are safe)”.

To a question from reporters, Ajit Pawar said he did not request PM Modi to hold a rally in his Baramati seat because the fight there is “within the family”. Ajit, the sitting MLA, is pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) in the constituency.

NCP insiders too stressed on the need for the party to carve out its own strategy within the Mahayuti. “What appeals to our allies does not help our constituents. Every Assembly constituency has its unique dynamics and a communal agenda will not work for us where our main rival is the NCP(SP),” a source said.

Ajit is facing a battle of survival in the November 20 Assembly polls. His perceived discomfort over the UP CM’s remarks stems from the point that the hardline Hindutva approach of his allies – the BJP and the CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena – may alienate the NCP’s “secular” vote, especially from the Muslim community.

Condemning Adityanath’s remarks, Ajit had said Maharashtra, which follows in the footsteps of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Jyotiba Phule, could not be compared to other states. “The life and teachings of Shivaji are inclusive, and had united all communities and classes. People from other states often come to Maharashtra and speak their mind but such remarks are not liked by the people here and are unacceptable,” he said Friday.

Since his July 2023 rebellion and subsequent entry into the NDA fold, Ajit has maintained that the “development agenda” of PM Modi drew him towards the ruling alliance, even as the NCP has also made concerted efforts to portray itself as a party centred around development. It has repeatedly brushed aside alleged communal remarks made by its allies as well as various right-wing organisations.

As a part of the Mahayuti, the NCP is contesting 53 seats of the 288, of which the party will be in a straight fight with the NCP (SP) in 41 seats, including 20 in sugar belt of western Maharashtra, which is known as the Pawars’ stronghold. The BJP is in the fray in 148 seats while the Shinde Sena has fielded its candidates in 80 seats.

His allies’ “hard Hindutva” stance has landed Ajit in a spot even in the Baramati seat from where he is seeking a record ninth term, facing a formidable battle against Yugendra Pawar.

The NCP leaders are also going out of their way to ensure that their allies refrain from making any personal remarks against Sharad Pawar, Ajit’s uncle, as they feel it would help the NCP (SP) garner sympathy votes. Instead, the party wants to keep the focus on its “development” agenda, with Ajit being seen to aggressively push the Mahayuti’s flagship scheme, Ladki Bahin Yojana, in its campaign.

NCP sources said this decision was taken after Shah, at a BJP event in Pune a few months ago, called Sharad Pawar a “kingpin of corruption who has institutionalised it in the country”. More recently, a Mahayuti leader and MLC Sadabhau Khot made some alleged derogatory remarks against the octogenarian over his facial disfigurement due to oral cancer.

Shah’s comments had triggered outrage among the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties and also evoked a reaction from the NCP(SP) chief, who is usually not known to respond to personal attacks. “It is strange that someone who was externed from a city by the Supreme Court is currently the Home Minister of the country,” Pawar had then hit back at Shah.

Ajit’s cautious approach over going after Pawar also stems from the fact that the 41 NCP legislators, who crossed over to the NDA with him, still hold the NCP patriarch in high esteem. “We hold Sharad Pawar in high regard. Personally, I have been associated with him for over 35 years,” NCP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel had said after the July 2023 rebellion.

The BJP downplayed Ajit’s criticism of Aditynath’s remarks, claiming “such differences” between coalition partners are “natural”. “This does not threaten our coalition and will not adversely affect the polls. Unlike Lok Sabha polls, Assembly elections are far more complicated. What appeals to certain people in a region may not hold true for others in the same region. Diversity is a fact and is acceptable to people,” a senior BJP leader said.