RESIDENTS of Baramati, where Maharashtra’s famous Pawar family lives, are miffed with Ajit Pawar. Some talk in hushed tones against me, some talk openly. But all of them speak highly about Sharad Pawar, the national president of the Nationalist Congress Party which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra.
In Baramati, there does not seem to be a soul who is talking against Sharad Pawar or hailing his move to step down from the presidentship of the party. Most of them want him to stay put. In the same breath, Baramatikars have become suspicious about Ajit Pawar and his possible moves. Says an elderly resident of Baramatikar,”I don’t know what Ajit Pawar will do…He did it once in 2019. He did it once and there is every possibility that he might do it again.” His views are echoed by a farmer, who said,”With every day news appearing in the media that Ajit Pawar will be joining hands with BJP, there seems to be some truth in it. The truth was revealed when Ajit Pawar alone supported Pawar saheb’s resignation while all other leaders opposed it. It seems like there is something cooking. If Ajit Pawar joins hands with BJP, the NCP will lose its image as a secular party as BJP is known for its divisive policy.”
Even senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, speaking at Nipani in Karnataka a couple of days back, said,”We also don’t know where NCP is going. Every day, the media is reporting that he will be joining hands with BJP.”
Sharad Pawar has been winning elections from Baramati since 1967. He has never been defeated whether in assembly or Lok Sabha election. The reason why people are rallying around him is his close connect with the Baramatikars. Most of them consider him as their family members. And therefore, it came as a rude shock to them that he was stepping down as president of the NCP. Some believe that he has been hurt by the way Ajit Pawar has been behaving of late. “Ajit Pawar has not once said that he will never join hands with BJP. And statements of political parties like BJP and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde are taken into account, then Ajit Pawar seems to be drifting towards them. Pawar saheb will never approve of this. And that is why he is hurt and has played a masterstroke by resigning and showing everyone who is the real boss,” said an NCP leader from Baramati on the condition of anonymity. The leader said they have been told to keep silence and avoid speaking to the media regarding the current turmoil in the party
