Maharashtra: No quarrel in Pawar family so we will meet, says NCP MLA Rohit Pawar

Latur, August 14

There may be differences in ideology and thoughts of Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar and his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar but familial relations remain strong, MLA Rohit Pawar said on Monday against the backdrop of their meeting in Pune a couple of days ago.

Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs had joined the Eknath Shinde government on July 2, leading to a vertical split in the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar, who has reiterated on several occasions that he will not align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Speaking at a press conference here, Rohit Pawar described Sharad Pawar as the “Sahyadri of Maharashtra” who will never bow before “Delhi”, an apparent reference to the Centre and the BJP.

“We can meet because we don’t have any quarrel in our family. But when ideology, thoughts come to the fore, there will be conflict. Ajit Pawar has taken a separate decision but there is no difference in the Pawar family. Since we are relatives, we will meet,” the Karjat-Jamkhed MLA said.

“There will be difference between the two Pawars on ideology and thoughts. Sharad Pawar has made it clear he will not go with the BJP. However, the BJP will try to put pressure but we are not concerned,” the MLA asserted.

The “confusion” in the minds of people, apparently due to the meeting on Saturday, will be clear when Sharad Pawar speaks at a rally in Beed on August 17, Rohit Pawar, who is aligned with the party patriarch, added.

The NCP president and the deputy CM are believed to have met at the residence of a businessman in Pune on Saturday.

Visuals aired by regional news channels showed Sharad Pawar arriving at the residence of the businessman in Koregaon Park area at around 1 pm. He left by around 5 pm.

After nearly two hours, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was seen leaving the premises in a car at 6:45 pm while apparently trying to avoid cameras.