Lok Sabha election: Troubles mount for Ajit Pawar as schisms within family, Mahayuti alliance intensify

March 18, 2024 08:48 pm | Updated 10:38 pm IST - Pune

Even as rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar throws himself in hectic campaigning to wrest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, schism within his family as well as Mahayuti are threatening to undercut the chances of his candidate.

It is widely expected that Mr. Ajit Pawar will field his wife Sunetra from Baramati against the incumbent MP, Supriya Sule, who is Sharad Pawar’s daughter and Mr. Ajit Pawar’s cousin.

Also Read | Rival Pawars face tough contest in Baramati as third challenger emerges

However, in a significant development, Mr. Ajit Pawar’s elder brother, businessman Shrinivas Pawar bitterly censured him for leaving Sharad Pawar’s side and aligning with the BJP, thus indirectly announcing his support for Supriya Sule. The hotly contested Baramati seat, in Pune district, goes to polls in the third phase on May 7.

“I have always stuck with Ajitdada through his highs and lows. But I do not approve of his decision of leaving the side of 83-year-old Sharad Pawar. It has caused me great pain. We all know how indebted we are to Pawar saaheb after all that he has done for us,” said Shrinivas, speaking in Katewadi late Sunday, the ancestral village of the Pawar clan.

Calling his brother “ungrateful” and “worthless” Shrinivas further said it was astonishing that his brother (Ajit) should question what Mr. Sharad Pawar had done for him and the others.

“He could become Deputy CM four times and remain a Minister for 25 years only because of Pawar saaheb. And yet, Ajit disrespectfully says our uncle has no political future now, that he ought to just retire, sit at home, and chant bhajans while adopt a mentoring role,” said Shrinivas Pawar.

He further said it had long been the RSS and the BJP’s ploy to finish off Pawar clan by creating a divide within the family.

Last month, Shrinivas’ son and Mr. Ajit Pawar’s nephew, Yugendra Pawar, had already said he would be canvassing for Ms. Sule and the Sharad Pawar faction.

Also Read | Pre-Lok Sabha campaign, shifting alliances within Pawar clan heats up contest in bastion Baramati

While stressing that he had never questioned Mr. Ajit Pawar’s choices thus far, Shrinivas said that his brother’s decision of leaving his uncle’s side to join hands with the BJP was improper.

“Just like some medicines have an expiry date, so do some relations…we will just have to move on,” said Shrinivas, alluding to future ties with his brother.

Shrinivas’ wife, Sharmila Pawar, too, criticised Mr. Ajit Pawar’s decision saying that questioning what Pawar saaheb had done for him was akin to “questioning what one’s parents had done for us.”

“Baramati is recognised globally only because of Sharad Pawar. Today, everyone in the country is keenly watching Baramati. In his political career of over 60 years, Sharad Pawar saaheb has remained undefeated. Please ensure he remains so,” said Sharmila Pawar, appealing to Katewadi’s electorate.

Ever since he split the NCP in July last year and parted ways with his uncle, Mr. Ajit Pawar’s immediate family – wife Sunetra, sons Parth and Jay - has become increasingly isolated within the Pawar clan with most family members disapproving his decision to seize control of the party and align with the BJP.

On Monday, Mr. Sharad Pawar’s grand-nephew, MLA Rohit Pawar, after meeting Pawar senior, told reporters in Mumbai that Mr. Ajit Pawar “had broken the Pawar family with his decision.”

“In a way, Ajit Pawar has revealed the BJP’s design, of doing politics by breaking homes,” said Rohit Pawar.

Meanwhile, to compound Mr. Ajit Pawar’s troubles, former Minister Vijay Shivtare – a senior leader of the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (Mr. Ajit Pawar’s ally in the Mahayuti government) – refused to be pacified into cooperating with Mr. Pawar in the Baramati campaign.

Mr. Shivtare was summoned by CM Shinde for the second time in less than a week in a bid to cajole the former MLA from Purandar (which falls in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency) to cooperate with Mr. Ajit Pawar and forget past animosities.

“I told the CM during today’s meeting that the Baramati seat will be lost to the Mahayuti anyway and that Ajit Pawar will not win regardless of whether I contest as an Independent or not,” said Mr. Shivtare, who had earlier announced himself as a third contender to challenge both rival Pawar camps.

“Today, the scene in Baramati is that of the Pawar clan versus the common people. I told the CM that he should not try and stop me from contesting. Yet CM insisted that I would have to follow coalition dharma,” said the Shinde camp leader.

Mr. Shivtare, however, said that he conveyed to the CM that the mood of the voters in Baramati today was such that they wanted to break the stranglehold of the Pawar clan after 41 years of electing them.

“This is a good opportunity to end the reign of terror of the Pawar family over Baramati. They have not done any development in the constituency besides fattening their pockets. In 2019, Ajit Pawar had arrogantly said, ‘Who is this Vijay Shivtare? What is his capability?’ Today I will show Ajit Pawar his place,” said Mr. Shivtare, while stating that he would announce his decision on whether or not he was contesting Baramati in the next two to four days.