"Had I campaigned in your seat, things might have turned out differently": Ajit Pawar's playful remark to nephew

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Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar made a light-hearted remark on Monday, suggesting that had he campaigned in his nephew Rohit Pawar's assembly constituency, it would have been difficult for the latter to retain his seat in the just-concluded Maharashtra assembly elections.

Rohit Pawar, who is the grandnephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar, successfully retained his Karjat Jamkhed seat in Ahilyanagar district, defeating BJP's Ram Shinde by a narrow margin of 1,243 votes.

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The Pawar family members, who have seen significant political developments in recent years, paid tribute to Maharashtra's first Chief Minister Y. B. Chavan on his death anniversary at a memorial in Karad. Sharad Pawar was accompanied by his grandnephew, Rohit Pawar, during the visit. Following this, Ajit Pawar also paid homage at the same memorial.

During the visit, Ajit Pawar, with whom Rohit shares a complex political relationship due to their differing affiliations, jokingly congratulated his nephew on retaining the seat. He quipped, "Come, take my blessings. You barely survived (in retaining the seat). Had I held a rally (in Karjat Jamkhed), imagine what would have happened."

In response to the remark, Rohit Pawar, ever respectful, touched his uncle's feet. He later addressed the media, acknowledging the role his uncle played in his political journey, despite their differences. "Despite our (political) differences, Ajit Pawar is like a father figure to me," Rohit said. "In the 2019 elections, he helped me immensely. It was my responsibility to touch his feet, and I follow the traditions and values that Chavan Saheb upheld."

Rohit also acknowledged that Ajit Pawar's absence from his campaign had impacted the election results, saying, "Had he held a rally in Karjat Jamkhed, things would have been different. But he was busy in Baramati and couldn't come to the constituency."

The recent assembly elections saw contrasting results for the two factions of the NCP. While Ajit Pawar's NCP faction secured 41 seats, the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar won only 10 seats. Ajit Pawar retained his Baramati seat by a landslide margin of over one lakh votes, defeating his own nephew, Yugendra Pawar of the NCP (SP).

The split within the NCP, following Ajit Pawar's defection to the Eknath Shinde-led BJP government in 2023, has significantly shaped the party's political trajectory. Despite the differences, the Pawar family continues to maintain strong political ties, with both Ajit and Sharad Pawar commanding influence in Maharashtra's political landscape.

As per PTI, these remarks underline the familial bonds that remain intact, even as the political paths of Ajit and Sharad Pawar have diverged in recent years.