Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | 'Will you split family for power ambitions': Sharad Pawar turns the screw on Ajit on home ground Baramati

Mumbai: As campaigning in Baramati gathers full steam, Sharad Pawar mocked his nephew Ajit Pawar and accused him of breaking the closely-knit Pawar-clan for his political ambitions. 

Besides, Pawar, the 84-year family patriarch, made it clear that all these years he had not given any post to his daughter Supriya Sule, who is a four-time Baramati MP. 

Ajit Pawar, who has taken control of the original NCP party after rebelling against Sharad Pawar, his uncle and mentor, is facing his own nephew Yugendra Pawar of NCP (SP), as he prepares to contest for the eight term.

The attack by Sharad Pawar comes a day after Ajit Pawar claimed that his mother even advised against anyone running against him - a reference to Yugendra Pawar. 

“I don’t recall any occasion where my mother made such remarks. In fact, she never speaks about politics,” said Ajit Pawar’s brother Shriniwas Pawar, the father of Yugendra Pawar.

With his voice choked with emotions, gulping water and wiping eyes, Ajit Pawar, at a rally, said: “I made a mistake by fielding my wife Sunetra Pawar against my sister Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha polls…I made a mistake…they should not have repeated the mistake…its now up to the public.”

Now it was the turn of Sharad Pawar to retaliate - as he took out a handkerchief to wipe his eyes evoking laughter from the audience.

"My parents and brothers never taught me the sin of breaking the house…people tasked me with leading Maharashtra a long time ago. I am now a mentor and have entrusted the party affairs to the new generation," he said.

Referring to the November 2019 swearing in of Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, he said: "Unfortunately, when we (NCP) were not in power, some of our colleagues suddenly woke up at dawn and took oath. That government didn't last for even four days.”

In a no-holds-barred attack, Sharad Pawar said that his nephew went to the other side to secure the Deputy Chief minister's post despite having served as Deputy Chief Minister four times. 

"It was said (by Ajit Pawar) that I created a rift in the family. The sin of breaking the family was never taught by my parents and brothers. All my brothers, including (Ajit Pawar’s father) Anantrao Pawar, lived with me," he added.

“During Lok Sabha polls, people were told not to fall prey to emotion. People were told that Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar) would shed tears and seek votes (for his daughter Supriya Sule)... You might have seen in yesterday's speech,” he said, mimicking Ajit Pawar.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.