45 years and counting, political rivalry between Pawars and Vikhes continues
Even after 45 years, the political rivalry between Sharad Pawar and Vikhe Patil family continues in Ahmednagar district as both launched scathing attack against each other
Pune: Even after 45 years, the political rivalry between Sharad Pawar and Vikhe Patil family continues in Ahmednagar district as both launched scathing attack against each other. On Thursday, Pawar during his tour to Ahmednagar was critical against Vikhe Patil family, which too responded in same manner.

The dispute between the two families was at the centre of a standoff even in 2019 over the Ahmednagar constituency from where Sujay, a neurosurgeon, contested for election to the Lok Sabha. The feud started over four decades back during the 1980s, when Pawar was in the Congress and relatively young in politics, and Sujay’s grandfather Balasaheb Vikhe Patil had considerable sway over western Maharashtra politics. Balasaheb, a prominent Congress figure of his time from Maharashtra, passed away in December 2016 at the age of 84.
Pawar on Thursday conducted a public rally to canvass for South Ahmednagar candidate Nilesh Lanke where he came down on Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and his son Sujay.
“Some people are leading the Ahmednagar district for last 50 years. Earlier generations were honest but next generation stopped the development of the district. The new generation behave rudely with seniors,” he said.
The veteran leader blamed the current members of Vikhe Patil family for allegedly stopping the Nilwande dam project.
“The family even ensured that the government medical college will not come to this district as they have two medical colleges controlled by the family. Local students are not getting admission in the medical college,” Pawar said.
Referring that Ahmednagar district is known for the country’s first cooperative sugar factory, Pawar said he and others used to visit the factory for getting good lessons, but “the new generation has completely brought down its good practices”.
Pawar claimed that his party has fielded the candidate from a poor family who is representing the common man. “I am sure that Lanke will emerge victorious,” he said.
During the 1980s, Pawar turned to Yashwantrao Gadakh and Ramrao Adik, two leaders from Ahmednagar, who were rivals of Balasaheb. By the early 1990s, when Pawar had the reins of the state Congress, he ensured Balasaheb didn’t get a Lok Sabha ticket, prompting the latter to contest the polls as an independent. Pawar had then fielded Gadakh against Balasaheb.
The electoral battleground saw allegations and counter allegations about corruption in sugar cooperatives. Accusing Pawar of defamation, Balasaheb went to court against the latter, who lost the suit in the lower court. In the process, Pawar was divested of his right to vote in one election.
In this election, Lanke has posed a major challenge before Sujay Vikhe Patil who is the sitting MP. His father Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is a minister in the state cabinet.
As Pawar made personal allegations, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said, “Pawar has continued his tradition since last many decades. It is Pawar who is responsible for Ahmednagar’s various issues as he always created a divide between the leaders here. Instead of speaking about us, he should take care of his own daughter. Even Pawar needs to introspect why his own colleagues left him.”
