‘Inspired by Rahul Gandhi’: How a Pawar family scion is staking out his political space

Days later, unable to register an FIR in the aircraft crash case in Maharashtra, Rohit travelled to Bengaluru — in a Congress-governed state — and got a zero FIR registered at the High Grounds police station. A zero FIR can be filed at any police station, no matter where the crime actually occurred or the area that holds legal jurisdiction.

Since then, the rumours have only intensified. The young NCP (SP) MLA’s growing proximity to the Congress was apparent when he put out hundreds of posters welcoming Gandhi to Pune for his “Chhatron ki Goonj” event.

“The name of our party carries the word ‘Congress’; there is no difference in our ideologies,” Rohit told The Indian Express. “Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar) was in the Congress. That party is not new to us. Even though we are different on paper, we have been allies for decades. Right now, the foremost task in front of both of us is to return to power in the state and at the Centre in 2029.”

Rohit said he draws “inspiration” from Gandhi. “We are being deprived of a Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra. As an Opposition leader in Lok Sabha, he is our leader as well,” he said.

Comparisons with Rahul Gandhi

The NCP (SP) leader has travelled across Maharashtra to project himself as the virtual state LoP — the Opposition does not have the numbers to stake a claim to the post and the Speaker has not sanctioned the status to anyone — hitting the streets, often on his own, to take on the BJP-led government and raising issues of farmers, women, students, and contractors. Like Gandhi, he makes presentations at his press conferences and has taken up the issue of alleged irregularities and paper leaks in recruitment exams. This week, he targeted Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairperson Vivek Bhimanwar over a recent paper leak — thousands in Pune protested on Monday seeking Bhimanwar’s resignation — and the protesters received Gandhi’s support.

All of this has drawn comparisons to Gandhi and a few weeks ago, amid speculation that the NCP (SP) might consider a merger with the NCP and join the BJP-led NDA, the talk was that Rohit himself would move to the Congress in such a scenario. “He does not want to leave any scope for speculation and does not want to be seen as unreliable politically,” said a senior state Congress leader.

Pawar’s growing closeness not just to the Congress high command but even to the state Congress, especially its chief Harshvardhan Sapkal, was apparent when he got his ally to stand down and not contest the Baramati Assembly bypoll against his aunt and Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, now the Deputy CM and leader of the NCP. His approach stands in contrast to his aunt and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who makes no bones about her reservations about the state Congress.

The BJP has accused the MLA of using students to increase his political stature. While BJP MLA Vikram Pachpute alleged that the NCP (SP) leader was merely playing politics and had not given policy inputs, former BJP MLA Jagdish Mulik alleged that Rohit’s attempt to give “political colour” to students’ issues would “never succeed”.

“If the BJP thinks raising issues concerning students as an attempt to gain political mileage, then it just shows the insensitive nature of the ruling party. The BJP should refrain from making such childish comments,” said NCP (SP) leader Amol Matele.

Rohit, according to the senior Congress leader, had learnt the lessons from his uncle’s political journey and was keen on charting his own path, without anyone’s patronage, at the earliest. “Keeping Congress in good faith is beneficial to him in that as well,” the leader said.