Ajit slams Sharad Pawar for fielding Yugendra, creating family discord; Dy CM's brother hits back

Baramati, Oct 28 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday hit out at NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar for making the Baramati assembly poll fight a family affair and asserted it takes generations for family bonds to be intact and just a moment for them to split.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has fielded Yugendra Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar's brother Srinivas Pawar, from Baramati. The Deputy CM is a seven time MLA from the seat.

Ajit Pawar also said Yugendra Pawar's candidature comes despite his mother (and Yugendra Pawar's grandmother) voicing her opposition to such a contest.

Addressing a rally after filing his nomination papers during the day, the Deputy CM emphasised he had accepted his mistake of fielding his wife Sunetra Pawar against sitting Baramati MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Now tell me who has committed a mistake? I was supposed to fill the (nomination) form first. My mother said don't fill the form against Dada. Whatever is happening is not appropriate. The elders in the family should have advised (Sharad Pawar) on this," Ajit Pawar said.

"Who asked him (Yugendra) to fill the form, it was saheb (Sharad Pawar). Does that mean he (Sharad Pawar) has created a split in the Tatyasaheb's family (Tatyasaheb is Ajit Pawar's father Anantrao Pawar? Politics is being brought to this level. It takes generations for family bonds to be intact, but a split can happen in no time," he asserted.

As an emotional Ajit Pawar said development must take front seat and such quarrels should be within the four walls of a house, the huge crowd cheered and exhorted him to continue fighting.

It is a tradition that everyone gets ahead when all are together, the Deputy CM told the crowd.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar's brother Srinivas Pawar (father of Yugendra Pawar) refuted claims that their mother had made any such statement (on not wanting Yugendra to fight the Deputy CM).

"I don't know why Ajitdada made this statement. There was no discussion about Pawar saheb. For our mother, both Ajitdada and her grandson Yugendra are the same. I do not think our mother will make such a statement," Srinivas Pawar asserted.

Srinivas Pawar further said he had told the Deputy CM not to field Sunetra Pawar against Sule in the Lok Sabha polls.

"Supriya is our younger sister and we have seen her grow up. However, Ajitdada did not relent and went ahead with his plans. When we told him not to field Sunetra against Supriya, our mother was there," Srinivas Pawar said. PTI SPK BNM