Sharad Pawar mocks Maharashtra BJP chief over remarks on Baramati assembly seat

Sharad Pawar/ Sameer Markande

In Pune, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar took a swipe at Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the President of the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party, suggesting that those who were not deemed worthy of receiving party tickets should refrain from discussing Baramati, which has been Pawar's stronghold for nearly six decades, stated a PTI report.

According to the report, Pawar commented that it has become a recent trend for individuals to mention Baramati in an attempt to gain media coverage or be featured on television channels. He emphasized that the significance of Baramati is already well-known to the people of the nation and the state of Maharashtra.

Bawankule had criticised Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as part of the BJP's protests against contractual recruitment.

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Pawar noted that Bawankule holds the position of state president within his party. However, in the 2019 Assembly polls, the BJP did not consider him suitable for a ticket. Pawar questioned whether he should offer comments on individuals who are not even deemed worthy by their own parties.

He asserted, "Those who were denied tickets to contest polls have no right to make statements about Baramati," in response to reporters.

Regarding the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram in November, Pawar predicted a shift in these states. He believed that voters would sideline the BJP, and he highlighted the prevailing atmosphere of change in multiple states. Pawar anticipated that in any upcoming elections, people would vote against the BJP.

Sharad Pawar recently criticised BJP leaders after they voiced objections to his remarks on the Israel-Palestine war suggesting they were "more loyal than the king." He also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement, supporting India's ongoing humanitarian assistance to Palestine. Pawar asserted that his views were consistent with those of previous prime ministers, such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who advocated a peaceful resolution for Israel and Palestine to coexist as peaceful neighbours. He praised Modi for endorsing the stand of past prime ministers on this issue.

Pawar had initially pointed out a discrepancy between Modi's statement following Hamas' actions in Israel and the Ministry of External Affairs' stance. The External Affairs Ministry clarified that India continues to support the Palestinian cause while opposing organisations involved in terrorist activities. This led to criticism from BJP leaders, including Devendra Fadnavis.

On a different occasion, Sharad Pawar expressed his belief that the BJP's political influence was diminishing nationwide due to alleged misuse of power. He stated that people across the country were less inclined to support political entities aligned with the BJP. Pawar highlighted that the BJP did not govern any state in South India and suggested that the party had used strategies to gain power in various states, including Maharashtra, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh.

With PTI inputs