On Monday, Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and a senior member of the Rajya Sabha, announced that the Pawar family has chosen not to participate in the Baramati by-election due to their mourning for the late former deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar. He also emphasized that he would not criticize the Congress party for deciding to contest the bypoll.
Speaking to journalists in New Delhi, Pawar acknowledged Congress’s right to nominate a candidate in Baramati. When questioned about his grandnephew Parth Pawar’s assertion that Congress is experiencing a decline due to their participation in the by-election, Sharad Pawar expressed uncertainty about Parth’s political acumen to make such assessments.
In light of Ajit Pawar’s passing, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has submitted her nomination for the Baramati by-election. Although the NCP(SP) opted not to present a candidate, the Congress party, part of the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, has entered the electoral contest.
Sharad Pawar remarked, “To participate in an election, one must recognize the existence of opponents. We have decided against putting forward a candidate. While many individuals choose to run in various elections, our family is currently in mourning for Ajit Pawar. As the head of the family, it is my duty to honor that loss. Thus, we resolved not to contest this election.”
Regarding the situation in Rahuri, Pawar expressed ignorance as to why Prajakt Tanpure had withdrawn from the race. He mentioned that his party had instructed local leaders to make a decision in the absence of Tanpure, resulting in the nomination of Govind Mokate.
Pawar reiterated that it is within Congress’s rights to put forth a candidate in Baramati, a decision likely influenced by the current circumstances. He acknowledged that while they are aligned with the Maha Vikas Aghadi, such individual constituency issues occasionally arise and are not indicative of broader national trends.
In response to criticism directed at the Congress party by NCP MP Parth Pawar, Sharad Pawar noted that political commentary requires a certain level of maturity. “I am uncertain whether he (Parth Pawar) possesses that level of political maturity,” the seasoned politician stated.
Sharad Pawar also clarified that discussions about a potential merger of the two factions of the NCP had previously occurred between Jayant Patil and Ajit Pawar, who held a different perspective at that time. “With Ajit no longer with us, discussions regarding a merger within our party are no longer taking place,” he concluded.
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