Battered by poll result, Ajit Pawar makes emotional appeal to voters

NCP's Ajit Pawar appeals for support in emotional video ahead of Maharashtra elections, denies corruption allegations, emphasizes development

Mumbai: In a first, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday made an emotional appeal to the people of Maharashtra via a 10-minute video released on social media, seeking their help and support in the upcoming assembly elections.

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP (Ajit) leader Ajit Pawar. (PTI)

Speaking in an unusually mellow voice, Pawar mentioned several welfare schemes announced in the recently presented state budget and claimed that this was the reason why he was being constantly targeted by the opposition.

“Whatever I do is in the interest of the people. I always think about bringing maximum development to the state. People should remember the faces of those who are criticising the state budget. They are the ones who are against development and want you to be deprived of the benefits of government schemes,” said the seven-term MLA from Baramati.

The video was released following the NCP’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, where it lost three of the four seats it contested and drew a blank in western Maharashtra, the Pawar family’s stronghold. The Lok Sabha poll was the first election contested by the NCP after the split in the party in 2023.

Amidst speculations that some NCP MLAs are in touch with the rival faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, the 64-year-old leader said in the video, “I have never changed any party since I joined politics. Since day one, NCP has remained my party.”

On allegations of corruption against him, he said, “False allegations were made against me. None of them can be ever proved. Criticism of a leader is obvious but the one who works more gets targeted more than others, hence he has to tolerate all this.” Incidentally, it was the BJP, with which the NCP is in alliance, which had alleged his involvement in the irrigation scam and irregularities in the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank.

At the end of the video, Pawar urged people to support him for a progressive and developed Maharashtra, saying development would be his only poll plank in the upcoming assembly elections.

Responding to the video, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule reminded Ajit Pawar that the allegations against him were levelled by prime minister Narendra Modi, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders, who were now his alliance partners.

“It was the BJP which leveled allegations of corruption against Ajit Pawar. It is under the BJP’s rule that raids by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax (IT) department were conducted on the residences of my sisters. So, it is the BJP who should respond to the allegations Ajit Dada is talking about,” Sule said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a jibe at Ajit Pawar, saying he had not changed parties but had stolen his uncle’s party.