Mumbai: “Now that the senior leader {Sharad Pawar) has said he will not be contesting any election in the future, who is going to take care of you? Who else is there apart from me?” These were the words of Ajit Pawar, 65, during campaigning in Baramati.
Clearly, the weight of his words must have sunk in, given his landslide win – with a margin of more than 1 lakh votes – against his nephew Yogendra Pawar. For a man who was fighting a do-or-die political battle, contesting against his nephew, even his uncle Sharad Pawar would not have imagined such a huge victory, not only for Ajit but also for his NCP with 41 seats.
Way Is Clear For Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar And His Party
Finally, the road ahead is clear, for Ajit as well as the party he took along with him. His pink jacket, though he claims it is purple, to promote the Ladki Bahin scheme, had been a topic of derision for some.
This election was considered his last ever since the Lok Sabha elections in which his wife Sunetra lost to his cousin Supriya and his party could win just one seat, Ajit Pawar was often ridiculed for his involvement in the infamous irrigation scam, raked up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, a few days before he aligned with the BJP bringing along 40 MLAs.
So shattered was he with the Lok Sabha results that he said he was not interested in contesting the assembly election. “I have contested seven or eight elections; let someone young take over,” he had said, fuelling speculation over his elder son Jay’s entry into politics. At one point, he had considered contesting from nearby Shirur and was also invited by his party colleague and MLA, M.k Kokate, to contest from Sinnar, Nashik.
An Uncertain Future?
Clearly, going into the assembly polls, Ajit Pawar’s future seemed uncertain. Apparently under tremendous pressure, he made a few unlikely statements – such as the one about a meeting to join the BJP government in Maharashtra which took place in Delhi, where businessman Gautam Ad. was also present, among others. He had opposed the slogan ‘Batenge toh Katenge), raising several eyebrows, as the catchphrase was considered as one of the game-changers for the Mahayuti. But now, it would appear, the four-time deputy CM has broken a political jinx, by mustering a comfortable win for his party.
Now, the task that remains for him is to finish off the vestiges of the NCP SCP by wooing leaders from the latter faction who were defeated in this election and are worried about the future of the party. The BJP may ask him to do it as early as possible, for obvious reasons. He is a man with astute administrative skills and vast experience, famous for his outspokenness.
Unhappy over various decisions in the state cabinet meetings before the announcement of the assembly elections, he skipped a few and traded barbs with some of his colleagues. At the joint press conference with outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the official residence of the chief minister, Varsha, after the results, Pawar said the state is in need of financial discipline.
