Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar addresses Satara, Ahmednagar rallies in rain

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar got applause after pictures and videos of him addressing a rally in Satara, despite heavy rain went viral

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar got applause after pictures and videos of him addressing a rally in Satara, despite heavy rain went viral on social media. A day later, Pawar once again addressed a rally in the rain, for his grandnephew Rohit at Karjat-Jamkhed constituency in Ahmednagar.

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The 79-year-old leader’s fighting spirit has now become a talking point.

On Friday, the NCP had organised Pawar’s rally for party candidates contesting the Assembly elections as well as Lok Sabha by-polls in Satara. As soon as Pawar started speaking it began to rain but the veteran leader continued. “Varun Raja (rain god in Hindu mythology) has blessed the NCP. With his blessings, Satara district will now do magic in the upcoming polls,” said the NCP chief in his address.

As he drew applause and cheers from the audience, Pawar said that he had erred while selecting Udayanraje Bhonsle as his party’s candidate in Satara for the Lok Sabha election held earlier this year. Bhonsle resigned from the Lok Sabha and NCP to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) within four months after the general elections. He is also a three-time member of Parliament from the Satara seat.

“When someone makes a mistake, it is expected that he will admit it. I am here to admit that I made a mistake during the Lok Sabha elections. I am sure each and every person of Satara is waiting to rectify that mistake on October 21,” said Pawar.

The BJP has posed a challenge before NCP in Satara, a stronghold of the party, by poaching on its sitting MP Bhonsle and MLA Shivendraraje Bhonsale, both descendants of Maratha king Shivaji.

Pawar, on Friday, was campaigning for his party’s candidate Shrinivas Patil, who is contesting the by-polls for the Satara Lok Sabha constituency against Bhonsle. Patil, a 78-year-old former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was also the governor of Sikkim from 2013 to 2018. The crowd at the rally did not leave the open ground until he completed his speech.

While campaigning for his grandnephew Rohit Pawar on Saturday, Pawar said a Prime Minister will come to see the type of development he [Rohit] will bring to the constituency after getting elected.

“I was of the same age as Rohit when I decided to contest assembly polls some 52 years ago. Then Baramati had nothing, no factories, no water and no educational institutions. Now go and see the change, it has everything. One day, a Prime Minister will come to see the type of development Rohit will bring here in Karjat-Jamkhed,” Pawar said.

There were scores of reaction on the social media. “Not all battles are fought for victory. Some are fought simply to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield,” said a Twitter used, Alok Shinde. “This image of Sharad Pawar delivering speech in rain will be remembered for a long time, irrespective of the outcome of elections (sic),” Ashish Dikshit posted. “Even Rain cannot stop him. Powerfull Sharad Pawar The Firm,Fighter,Stable,Strong (sic),” Pritesh Shah tweeted.

“Our 79 year old stalwart delivered speech despite pouring rains at Satara. This picture will be etched in our memories forever! Salute to this commitment, hard work and never say die spirit! Thank you for inspiring us! Hats off @PawarSpeaks,” Saidarshan wrote.

Later, in Baramati, the former Union minister said bogus cases are being filed against him by misusing some orders. “Cases are being filed against without having any relation. This is being done in the name of some random orders. Do whatever you want. This Baramatikar (resident of Baramati) will fight to the finish,” Pawar said.