Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday accused his uncle and NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar of making the assembly polls in Baramati a family affair.
Addressing a rally in the constituency after filing his nomination papers, Ajit lamented that it takes generations for family bonds to be intact and just a moment for them to split.
Ajit is a seven-time MLA from Baramati, but Sharad Pawar has fielded Yugendra Pawar, the son of Ajit Pawar's brother Srinivas Pawar, from the seat, making it an uncle vs nephew contest.
"Who asked him (Yugendra) to fill the form, it was saheb (Sharad Pawar). Does that mean he (Sharad Pawar) has created a split in the Tatyasaheb's family (Tatyasaheb is Ajit Pawar's father Anantrao Pawar)? Politics is being brought to this level. It takes generations for family bonds to be intact, but a split can happen in no time," an emotional Ajit said.
Earlier, in the Lok Sabha elections, Ajit had fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati, a stronghold seat of the Pawar family. Sule won the polls with a margin of over one lakh votes.
Ajit said he had accepted his mistake of fielding his wife against his sister. He further claimed that his mother (and Yugendra Pawar's grandmother) had voiced her opposition to a contest between him and Yugendra in Baramati.
"Now tell me who has committed a mistake? I was supposed to fill the (nomination) form first. My mother said don't fill the form against Dada. Whatever is happening is not appropriate. The elders in the family should have advised (Sharad Pawar) on this," he said.
Ajit, however, exuded confidence in winning the elections and said such family quarrels should be within the four walls of a house.
Yugendra’s father Srinivas Pawar, meanwhile, claimed his mother had not made any statement opposing the contest between his son and his brother.
"I don't know why Ajitdada made this statement. There was no discussion about Pawar saheb. For our mother, both Ajitdada and her grandson Yugendra are the same. I do not think our mother will make such a statement," Srinivas was quoted as saying by PTI.