India, Jan. 5 -- Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's attack on ally BJP in Pimpri last Friday took top BJP leaders by surprise. In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar's NCP is pitted against BJP and while some fireworks were expected, the deputy CM's bitter tirade in a press conference was unexpected. He called the BJP a "gang of robbers" and a "corrupt monster".

To make it worse, he taunted the BJP by saying he was now in power with the same people (meaning the BJP) who had made allegations against him in the Rs.70,000 crore irrigation scam. Irked BJP leaders then launched an attack on Pawar, even indirectly reminding him about the ongoing probe against him. Top leaders like state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and senior ministers like Cha...