Will Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar come together? It’s a matter of who blinks first

Asha Kaki, the mother of Ajit Pawar, prayed before Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur this week, expressing her hope for the Pawar family to reconcile

Pune: Asha Kaki, the mother of Ajit Pawar, prayed before Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur this week, expressing her hope for the Pawar family to reconcile after months of political discord. Her sentiment was echoed by senior leaders, including Praful Patel, who said he would welcome such a reunion. However, reactions from the family remained mixed, with Supriya Sule declining to comment and Yugendra Pawar, a younger family member, putting the onus on those who left to make the first move.

Sharad Pawar and his nephew and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. (HT FILE) (HT_PRINT)

Speaking to Hindustan Times by phone, Yugendra Pawar said, “When the two sides split, Sharad Pawar did not go anywhere, but the other side moved away. If both sides have to come together politically now, then the faction that left Sharad Pawar must take the first step.”

Yugendra Pawar, 32, contested the assembly elections in Baramati against his uncle, Ajit Pawar. Ajit secured a decisive victory, defeating Yugendra by over 100,000 votes.

On the possibility of reconciliation, Yugendra emphasised that the family’s personal relationships had remained intact despite political differences. “We may have chosen different political paths, but as a family, we are together,” said the third-generation political leader from the Pawar clan.

Supriya Sule, another key figure in the family, refrained from reacting to Asha Kaki’s remarks or those made by Patel.

Asha Kaki, affectionately referred to as “Kaki,” spoke to reporters on Wednesday outside the temple in Pandharpur. “I prayed that all the grievances within the family should end. I hope my prayers will be granted,” she said, fuelling speculation about efforts to reunite the rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) following the Maharashtra assembly elections.

Praful Patel, a senior leader in Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, expressed optimism about the prospect of reconciliation. “Sharad Pawar has always been like a father to us. If the Pawar family reunites, we would be very happy. I consider myself a part of the Pawar family,” he said. Patel added that a reunion “would not bring any disrespect to anyone.”

Narhari Zirwal, an NCP leader and Maharashtra minister, also commented, saying he was “too junior” to weigh in on the matter but acknowledged that unity would boost morale among party workers. “We feel distressed due to the split in the NCP, as we hold Sharad Pawar in great respect,” Zirwal said.

The schism in the Pawar family has been one of Maharashtra’s most dramatic political developments. Ajit Pawar, once a protégé of his uncle Sharad Pawar, broke away from the NCP in July 2023 after over three decades of association. He aligned with the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition, triggering a legal battle over the party's electoral symbol, which he eventually secured.

Ajit’s faction outperformed the Sharad Pawar-led NCP in the recent Maharashtra assembly elections, solidifying its position but leaving a fractured party and family in its wake.

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