Firing a salvo at his uncle and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, rebel NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday exhorted the people of Baramati not to fall prey to “sentimental appeals” while casting their vote in the 2024 general election.
Speaking in Baramati (in Pune district) — the bastion of the Pawar clan, Mr. Ajit Pawar further said that his relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were very good, hinting that this relationship with the Central government brass would prove invaluable to the constituents of Baramati if they voted for his (Ajit Pawar’s) candidate.
“I never ask for anything much. I am only asking you all to cast votes for my candidate. I assure you all that I will never fall short when it comes to getting work done,” said Mr. Ajit Pawar, who has held the Baramati Assembly segment a record seven times consecutively since 1991.
Ajit’s cousin, Baramati MP Supriya Sule — Mr. Sharad Pawar’s daughter, has held the Baramati Lok Sabha seat since 2009, while the seat was held by the Pawar senior before that.
Taking a jibe at Mr. Sharad Pawar without naming him, Mr. Ajit said: “You all have listened to your seniors for so many years. Now, listen to me and vote for the Lok Sabha candidate that I am going to field. I can then tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi that people have voted for my candidate,” said the Deputy Chief Minister, addressing a gathering in Baramati.
Mr. Ajit Pawar further said that he was not exaggerating in saying that his relations with Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah were very good.
“I will declare who the ‘Mahayuti’ candidate is very soon. But you must vote for my candidate thinking you are voting for me [Ajit Pawar],” he said.
Emotional appeals
Taking potshots at Mr. Sharad Pawar, Mr. Ajit Pawar said: “I do not know when some people are going to stop. There will be emotional appeals this time about this being his last election. No one knows if there will be any last election for such people. So, do not fall prey to such sentimental appeals.”
Mr. Sharad Pawar has remained undefeated in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls since the late 1960s and is currently a Rajya Sabha member.
In July last year, Mr. Ajit Pawar split his uncle’s NCP and aligned his rebel faction with the ruling Eknath Shinde government. Since then, he has justified his revolt by saying that the ‘elders’ in the party should have made way for the next generation.
According to the political grapevine, Paarth Pawar — Mr. Ajit’s son or Mr. Pawar’s wife, Sunetra, could be likely candidates against Ms. Sule for the Baramati seat.
The BJP, which has been making strenuous efforts to breach the hitherto impregnable Baramati constituency, feels that it may finally have a chance with Mr. Ajit Pawar’s adhesion in the ruling government.
