Sharad Pawar won this battle hands down with Supriya Sule securing 51.85% of votes and Sunetra Pawar managing only 40.64%. In fact, Sharad Pawar trumped his estranged nephew comprehensively winning 8 Lok Sabha seats, his best-ever performance in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar, on the other hand, could manage only one seat despite being a part of the BJP-led ruling alliance in the state.
Reflecting on the Lok Sabha battle, Ajit Pawar said one should not allow politics to enter home. “I love all my sisters. One shouldn’t allow politics to enter homes. I made a mistake in fielding Sunetra against my sister. This shouldn’t have happened. But the parliamentary board (of NCP) made a decision. Now I feel it was wrong,” Ajit Pawar told Marathi news channel Jai Maharashtra.
Ajit Pawar, who had split the NCP in July last year and eventually got the name and symbol of the party, has been pushed to a corner after a disastrous showing in Lok Sabha elections. The NCP still does not have a minister in Modi 3.0. This after the party refused to accept minister of state with independent charge post that was being offered for its leader Praful Patel. Ajit Pawar had then said it was a conscious decision taken unanimously as Praful Patel had been a Cabinet minister at the Centre earlier and the offered post would be demotion for him.
File photo of Ajit Pawar with wife Sunetra (Middle) and cousin Supriya Sule
What’s worse for the junior Pawar, the RSS had openly questioned the BJP’s alliance with him after the Lok Sabha results were out.
An article in “Organiser” magazine, which is linked to the RSS, had slammed BJP’s move and called it “unnecessary politicking.” It had said the induction of Ajit Pawar’s NCP into NDA had reduced the brand value of BJP.
“Maharashtra is a prime example of unnecessary politicking and avoidable manipulations. NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar joined BJP though BJP and split SS (Shiv Sena) had a comfortable majority. Sharad Pawar would have faded away in two-three years as NCP would have lost energy with infighting between cousins,” RSS lifelong member Ratan Sharda had said in the article.
“Why was this ill-advised step taken? BJP supporters were hurt because they had fought against this Congress ideology for years and were persecuted. In a single stroke, BJP reduced its brand value. After years of struggle to become numero uno in Maharashtra, it became just another political party without any difference,” he had added.
However, despite RSS criticism, Ajit Pawar remains a part of the ruling coalition for now. But as Maharashtra gears up for the year-end assembly elections, the NCP leader stares at an uncertain future. Little wonder, the junior Pawar, who was very aggressive vis-à-vis Sharad Pawar before the Lok Sabha elections, seems to have softened his stance. However, Sharad Pawar has made it clear that he can accept Ajit Pawar back only after consulting all leaders who stood with him after his nephew’s rebellion.