Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met five or six times during the Diwali festivities, but the cracks in their relationship are now starting to show. Ajit Pawar has directly told the people of Baramati that they have listened to him for many years, now it is time to listen to me. He has started a direct battle against Sharad Pawar in Baramati by saying "Listen to me from now on. Don't listen to anyone else. I took a different decision at the age of 60. He took it at the age of 38."
In response to this, Sharad Pawar has also given a direct reply to his nephew. Ajit Pawar had said that Vasantdada Patil was sidelined even though he was doing good work. In response to this, Sharad Pawar said that he has not been paying attention to Baramati and its surroundings for the past 10 to 15 years.
He said that he has not paid attention to who should go to the post of sugar factory and other institutions in Baramati area and who should be given responsibility. He has not paid attention to anything in the last ten years. He has also not created any obstacles for anyone to work. He said that we should take care of the increasing reputation of the area. He also said that it is up to each individual to decide who should listen to whom. As a party, I have always taken care to give opportunities to new people. I am happy about this, Pawar said.
Pawar also clarified that what he did at the age of 38 was not a rebellion. He said that we all took the decision together. We took the decision keeping in mind the ideology of Yashwantrao Chavan. There is no need to complain about what anyone has done today. Everyone knows how the party was formed and who is the founder of the party. Therefore, there is no need to comment on it, Sharad Pawar said.
The rift between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar is becoming increasingly evident. Ajit Pawar's statement that he is now the leader of Baramati and that people should listen to him is a direct challenge to Sharad Pawar's authority. Sharad Pawar's response that he has not paid attention to Baramati for the past 10-15 years is a subtle way of saying that he is no longer the one who calls the shots in the area.
It remains to be seen how this rift will play out in the future. It could lead to a split in the NCP, or it could simply be a case of two powerful leaders vying for control of the party.