Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar indulged in some poll mischief, targeting his nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, at the inaugural rally of his grand-nephew Yugendra Shrinivas Pawar, here on Tuesday.
The pater-familias Sharad Pawar, 84, has jumped in to canvass for Yugendra S. Pawar – who is the nephew of MahaYuti ally, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Ajit A. Pawar – and took the opportunity to lash out at the latter in his inimitable style.
Charging Ajit A. Pawar of disintegrating the close-knit Pawar clan for pursuing his political ambitions, Sharad Pawar at one point mocked his flamboyant nephew who is pitted against Yugendra in a keenly – watched ‘kaka-putnya’ political battle that has again divided the people of Baramati.
On Monday, soliciting votes for himself, Ajit Pawar claimed at a public meeting in Baramati that his mother had advised anyone contesting against him (referring to his nephew Yugendra), to prevent chasms in familial ties.
“I had erred by fielding my wife Sunetra against my (cousin) sister Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha elections. It was a mistake… They should not have repeated the same mistake now… It is for the Baramati people to decide now,” said the emotionally-choked Ajit Pawar, with moist eyes, wiping his face with a kerchief and sipping water.
Sharad Pawar grabbed the chance to imitate Ajit Pawar’s tear-jerker performance the day before – the uncle also removed his glasses, wiped his eyes and face – and evoked peals of laughter from the huge gathering that came to hear Yugendra.
“My parents, my brothers and sisters never imbibed in us the sin of breaking up homes of families… The people had entrusted me with leading the state long ago (57 years back). I am now a guide and mentor. I have passed on the responsibility of managing the party affairs to the new generations,” declared Sharad Pawar.
Incidentally, for the past nearly two years, on multiple occasions Ajit Pawar has been pushing Sharad Pawar to the ‘marg-darshak mandal’, calling upon him to retire from politics, make way for youngsters, advise the younger generations, etc.
Referring to the 80-hour-long two-men regime of Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar in November 2019, Sharad Pawar took a jibe saying: “Unfortunately, when we (the undivided NCP) was not in power, someone suddenly sprang awake at dawn to take the oath (of office in Raj Bhavan). But that government didn’t even survive for four days.”
Later, in July 2023, the octogenarian said Ajit Pawar again walked over to the ruling side (Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party) after breaking up the (undivided) NCP and securing the Dy. CM’s post which he had already occupied four times in the past.
“At that time, it was alleged (by Ajit Pawar) that I had created a split in the family… But doing such deeds was never taught to us… All my brothers including Anantrao (Ajit Pawar’s father) lived with me,” pointed out Sharad Pawar.
The NCP (SP) supremo said that even in the 2024 LS polls campaign, Ajit Pawar had campaigned for his wife (Sunetra) urging people “not to fall prey to emotions”, after electing a daughter (Supriya Sule) to give a chance to a daughter-in-law, shed tears and sought votes.
However, Sunetra Pawar lost to her ‘nanad’ Supriya Sule, but after the elections, she was promptly elected to the Rajya Sabha, where Sharad Pawar was also present.