Ajit Pawar, currently leading the statewide ‘Jan Samman Yatra’, stressed the importance of keeping politics separate from family matters.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar emphasized that politics should stay out of family affairs, admitting he made a mistake by fielding his wife against his cousin Supriya Sule in the Baramati Lok Sabha elections.
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In an interview with a Marathi news channel, Ajit Pawar, currently on a statewide ‘Jan Samman Yatra’, acknowledged that the decision made by the NCP parliamentary board was wrong.
“I love all my sisters, and politics should never enter the home,” Ajit Pawar stated. “I made a mistake by fielding Sunetra against my sister. This shouldn’t have happened, but the NCP parliamentary board made a decision. Looking back, I feel it was wrong.”
Although the Baramati election was officially between Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, it became a prestige battle between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. Supriya Sule, daughter of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, secured her fourth consecutive win from the Baramati seat, defeating Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra, by 1.5 lakh votes. Following this, Sunetra Pawar was elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Sharad Pawar has won the Baramati seat 14 times and has been nurturing the constituency since 1967. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) surprised the ruling Mahayuti alliance by winning 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP managed to win only one seat, Raigad, while the Sharad Pawar faction secured eight.
Ajit Pawar, whose rebellion caused a split in the NCP, acknowledged Sharad Pawar as a senior leader and “head of their family,” stating he would not respond to any criticism from his uncle.
When questioned about the repeated attacks on Sharad Pawar by the BJP and Shiv Sena, allies of the NCP, Ajit Pawar remarked that the Mahayuti constituents should be mindful of their statements. “I voice my opinion when we sit together,” he said during the interview.