People claiming Baramati has changed all Pawars now reaching out to voters jibes Ajit Pawar

Pune, Sep 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said residents of Baramati were of late claiming all members of the Pawar household were coming to inquire about their wellbeing, his statement a reference to the split in the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP and both factions fighting for supremacy in the family stronghold.
The NCP chief was speaking at a Jan Sanman Yatra event in Baramati here.
"Some people tell me they feel they are in a different Baramati. When I asked why so, they said Pawars never used to come to the doorstep in the last 25 to 30 years but now all Pawars are reaching out and have started enquiring about their wellbeing. I told them it is good that Pawars from this side and that side have started to reach out for votes," he said.
It is up to the voters to decide who they want to choose, the Baramati MLA added.
The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. The party name and clock symbol went to his faction, while the outfit led by Sharad Pawar is called NCP (SP).
He criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and other MVA leaders for hitting posters of Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and him with slippers as part of the opposition's 'jode maro' agitation that took place at Gateway of India in south Mumbai on Sunday.
'If you have have courage, come face to face, then we will see," said Pawar in a swipe at the MVA, which comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the NCP (SP).
Speaking about the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Malvan on August 26, the deputy CM asked if any government would want such an incident to take place, adding that no one should indulge in politics over it.
Incidentally, Ajit Pawar's son Jay Pawar took part in a bike rally organised in Baramati town as part of the Jan Sanman Yatra.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)