Nothing personal, my fight ideological: Sule on potential face-off with cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife

Mumbai, Feb 18 (PTI) Baramati MP and NCP (Sharad Pawar) working president Supriya Sule on Sunday responded to swirling speculation about her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar being nominated against her in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, stressing that there is nothing personal.

Sunetra Pawar is the wife of Sule's cousin and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the rival faction of NCP.

Speaking to reporters on her home turf Baramati in the state's Pune district, the three-term MP said her battle is ideological and not personal.

Ajit Pawar, a seven-time MLA and one-term MP from Baramati, and several senior legislators broke away from the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP last year and aligned with the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to join the state government.

Recently, the Election Commission allotted the party's name NCP and its ‘clock’ symbol to the group headed by Ajit Pawar. On February 15, Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar held that the Ajit Pawar-led group was the real NCP.

Asked about the speculation that Ajit Pawar could pit his wife against her in Baramati, Sule said, “For me, it is an ideological fight. There is nothing personal. (Sharad) Pawar Saheb has stood for a certain ideology and we are committed to it. How can this be a family fight,” she asked.

Anyone can contest elections from any place in a democracy, she said.

“I had said yesterday (Saturday) that if they have a strong candidate, then I am ready to debate with that person. They can decide the topic, time, and place. I’m ready,” she asserted.

Ajit Pawar had launched a scathing attack on Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, though without naming them, over the past few days and even said that development work doesn’t happen by getting awards for speeches In Parliament. Sule has won the best parliamentarian award more than once. PTI