Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently said that young people should be given a chance (in polls) and he is not interested anymore as he has been winning for the last 7-8 times. Ajit made the statement that he may not be the candidate from Baramati during his party's yatra on Friday.
The Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader first became a legislator from Baramati in 1991, when Sharad Pawar resigned as chief minister and moved to Delhi to become defence minister in the Narasimha Rao government. The seat vacated by Pawar was given to Ajit by a united Congress as Pawars were with that party then.
Ajit has been winning from Baramati since then. He was considered the heir to Pawar senior until the arrival of Supriya Sule on political scene in 2007.
Ajit parted ways with his uncle over a year ago, causing a split in the NCP. The official symbol and name of the party is with Ajit and Pawar senior’s party is now known as NCP-Sharad Pawar. It has its own symbol – a turrah.
Ajit, during the yatra on Friday, said the party's parliamentary board will have to decide about fielding young candidates. “If anyone else also was interested, then the parliamentary board will have to pick the best candidate,” said Ajit Pawar.
A top NCP-Sharad Pawar source very close to Pawar senior had told this writer that Ajit is afraid to contest against Yugendra Pawar, his nephew, whom Pawar senior has been grooming to take on Ajit Pawar from Baramati.
Ajit had fielded his wife Sunetra against his sister Supriya in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Supriya won a big victory. A sentiment that was prevailing in Baramati then was Supriya Sule for Lok Sabha and Ajit Pawar for Vidhansabha (state legislative assembly).