Ajit Pawar admits ‘mistake’, says ’society never accepts breaking one’s own family’

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday, "Society never accepts breaking one's own family." He said he had experienced this and accepted his "mistake." It is speculated that Ajit Pawar was referring to the contest between his wife Sunetra and cousin Supriya Sule in the Baramati Lok Sabha Elections this year.

Ajit Pawar made this statement while referring to the rift between party leader and state minister Dharmarao Baba Aatram and his daughter Bhagyashri over her political move. Speaking at the Jansamman rally organised by the NCP in Gadchiroli city on Friday, Ajit Pawar reportedly tried to Bhagyashri from crossing over to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

"Nobody loves a daughter more than her father. Despite giving her away in marriage in Belgaum, he (Aatram) stood by her in Gadchiroli and made her the president of Zilla Parishad. Now you (Bhagyashri) are set to fight against your own father," Pawar was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

According to the report, Ajit Pawar told Bhagyashri that she should support her father and help him win because only he has the capacity and determination to develop the region.

Ajit Pawar then said, "The society never accepts breaking one's own family...This is like breaking the family." He said, "Society doesn't like this. I have experienced the same and accepted my mistake," he said.

The "acceptance" of this mistake came against the backdrop of the NCP's poor performance in its maiden general elections after a split in the party. The NCP is a key partner in the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra. The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, suffered a severe drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, losing three of the four constituencies, including Baramati where Sunetra Pawar and Supriya Sule had contested.

Pawar added, “Aatram's daughter learnt politics from her father. Aatram was a 'vastad' (master) in politics who always kept one move close to his chest and played it at the appropriate time. Like the vastad, Aatram too doesn't teach everything to his pupil.”

"Nobody loves a daughter more than her father. Despite giving her away in marriage in Belgaum, he (Aatram) stood by her in Gadchiroli and made her the president of Zilla Parishad. Now you (Bhagyashri) are set to fight against your own father. Pawar's statement came amid speculation about a potential contest between Bhagyashri and her father in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)