Those who deviated from their path should be shown their place: Sharad Pawar tells voters to defeat Ajit faction

Recalling the political turmoil in Maharashtra in 1980, Pawar said, ”In 1980, 52 MLAs had left me. There was a discussion as to what will I do…I worked day and night for three years. During the next elections, I fielded young candidates against those who had left me. I feel proud of the people of Maharashtra that those 52 who left me were defeated in the election,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking in Baramati on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar said he had not left Sharad Pawar but just had to part ways with his uncle as all party MLAs wanted to join the Eknath Shinde government to tide over stalled development works.

”Some people think that I should not have left Sharad Pawar. I have not left Sharad Pawar. I was telling him that all MLAs want to join the government. This was not just my view, everyone wanted it. They had signed a letter too. Development works were not happening and that is why MLAs wanted to join the governement,” he said.

Ajit Pawar said the development works that he had sanctioned during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister in MVA regime were put on hold by the government. “Some 25 works were stayed. I was the opposition leader..,” he said.

The Nationalist Congress Party split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Shinde government. Following a decision by the Election Commission, he got the party name and ‘clock’ symbol, while the faction head by the octogenarian patriarch was named NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) with ‘man blowing tutari’ as its symbol.

Ajit Pawar said the voters handed him a big shock during the Lok Sabha elections when his cousin Supriya Sule defeated his wife Sunetra in the Baramati parliamentary constituency. ”Now don’t do like the Lok Sabha elections. If you are angry with local leaders, don’t take that anger out on me…They behaved badly doesn’t me I should be targeted,” he said.

“Now, extend support to me. I will attend a rally here tomorrow and Pawar saheb will also organise a rally. I will keep my thoughts in front of you. You must decide on who to vote for the sake of future generations,” the Deputy CM said. Ajit Pawar is up against NCP (SP) candidate and nephew Yugendra Pawar from the Baramati assembly constituency.