Ajit Pawar's resignation denied NCP the poll leverage: Bhujbal

Fissures in the NCP, which is battling dissensions ahead of the October 21 Maharashtra assembly polls, came out in the open on Tuesday when senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal virtually chided Baramati MLA Ajit Pawar for resigning on a day when Sharad Pawar was supposed to visit the ED office in Mumbai last month.

He said Ajit's resignation on "emotional grounds" diverted the "focus" from the Pawar senior's move which would have otherwise given a much-needed political leverage to the NCP in the run-up to crucial elections.

Ajit had told a news channel that "obstinacy" of some NCP leaders had led to the arrest of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in 2000, which he said was a "mistake".

Ajit didn't take name of Bhujbal, a former Shiv Sainik, who was Home Minister in the Congress-NCP government that time.

Speaking to a news channel, Bhujbal said he never intended to "trouble" the Sena founder.

"The issue of arresting Bal Thackeray had ended that time only. I had just signed a file .