Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (L) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar | FPJ Web team
Ashatai Pawar, mother of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and sister of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, on Wednesday (January 1) told reporters that she prayed at Vitthal Mandir for different clans of the family to come together. Ashatai visited Vitthal Mandir in Pandharpur on the first day of the new year. Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar currently lead parties that are part of opposite camps in Maharashtra.
“I prayed that all the grievances within the Pawar family should end, and Ajit and Sharad Pawar come together again. I hope my prayers will be granted,” she told reporters.
Ajit Pawar, who started as a protege of senior Pawar, fell out with his uncle in 2023 and split the party. After a brief legal battle, the name Nationalist Congress Party and the clock symbol was given to Ajit Pawar faction. Sharad Pawar, a veteran in Maharashtra and even national politics, formed a separate party by the name Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Ajit Pawar’s party is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra while Sharad Pawar faction is part of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.
Sharad Pawar faction gave impressive performance in Lok Sabha elections, winning more seats than Ajit Pawar’s party. But the junior Pawar made a comeback with his party registering a stellar performance in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections.
Prominent leaders in Ajit Pawar camp gave reacted positively to Ashatai Pawar’s statement. Praful Patel, a longtime NCP leader now in Ajit Pawar’s camp, said that all of them have always respected Sharad Pawar and he was like a father-figure to them.
“If the Pawar family reunites, we would be very happy….I consider myself a part of the Pawar family,” he said as quoted by NDTV.
There wasn’t any immediate reaction from Ajit Pawar or Sharad Pawar.
