Maharashtra polls| Why Ajit Pawar-led NCP is against any personal attack on Sharad Pawar

Already on a weak wicket after its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, is treading cautiously ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls and wants no personal attacks on NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, as it may lead to backlash and generate sympathy for the latter.

In one such instance recently, Ajit’s NCP faction came out strongly against Sadabhau Khot, a leader of the Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, a Mahayuti alliance partner, for his derogatory remarks against Sharad Pawar.

Addressing a rally in Sangli on Wednesday, Khot wondered whether Sharad Pawar intended to make Maharashtra like his face. After Khot’s comment, NCP (SP) workers quickly mobilised to condemn Khot and the Mahayuti, prompting Ajit Pawar to issue a statement swiftly.

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‘Not Maharashtra’s culture’

Ajit said, “Sadabhau Khot’s comment about Pawar Saheb is unacceptable. We oppose such low-level personal attacks, as they do not reflect Maharashtra’s culture. On behalf of the NCP and personally, I strongly condemn this statement. We will not tolerate personal remarks against Pawar Saheb in the future.”

Senior NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Dilip Walse-Patil also denounced the remark, stating, “We will never accept personal attacks on Sharad Pawar, who is a highly respected leader.”

Later, Khot apologised and released a video message on Thursday, saying, “I take back my statement if it has hurt anyone’s sentiments.”

This is not the first time that the Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction has resented derogatory remarks against the Maratha strongman who founded the NCP after parting ways with the Congress in 1990s.

PM’s ‘Bhatakti Atma’ remark

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called Sharad Pawar a “Bhatakti Atma” (wandering soul), drawing similar response from the NCP (Ajit Pawar).

At that time too, Ajit Pawar's close aide Vilas Lande had said, “Such comments directed at an 84-year-old leader are inappropriate and tend to rally support for him.” This may be perhaps one of the reasons why Ajit Pawar hasn’t sought PM Modi’s rally in Baramati ahead of the Assembly polls, though he has attributed the move to the fact that “the fight there is within the family”.

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In the Lok Sabha polls, Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction emerged victorious on 8 out of the 10 seats it contested, while Ajit Pawar-led NCP could manage to win only one out of 4 seats it contested. Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar also lost the family bastion of Baramati to Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule.

In another instance, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 21 termed Sharad Pawar as the “ringleader of corruption,” following which Lande expressed his displeasure and shot off a missive to BJP’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, urging the party to avoid such remarks.

Affecting electoral prospects

Aware of the fact that personal attacks on Sharad Pawar are impacting their candidates negatively, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) doesn’t want to take any chances in these elections, which are being seen as do-or-die battle for both the NCP factions.

“In many constituencies, candidates from both NCP factions are competing, and their shared voter base tends to sympathise with Sharad Pawar when he is targeted,” a senior leader told Hindustan Times, pleading anonymity.

“Sharad Pawar has a significant following. Any criticism against him hurts us, and reactions on social media are overwhelmingly in his favour. We have deliberately decided not to comment on Sharad Pawar, a stance we’ve communicated publicly,” said the leader from Ajit’s NCP faction.

“Personal attacks on Sharad Pawar almost always work in our favour, as people respect his stature. After Balasaheb Thackeray, he remains the only state-level leader who commands such respect. While some oppose him, even voters from rival camps disapprove of personal attacks against him,” the daily quoted a NCP (SP) leader as saying.

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Flays Yogi’s ‘batenge to katenge’ slogan

Interestingly, it is not only the remarks against Sharad Pawar that have drawn ire of the Ajit’s NCP faction. The alleged communal remarks being made by the BJP leaders ahead of the Assembly polls have also not gone down well with the party.

Ajit Pawar recently flayed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan “batenge to katenge” at a poll rally in Maharashtra, saying the people of the state do not appreciate such remarks. “People of Maharashtra have always strived to maintain communal harmony,” he said.

“Maharashtra belongs to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj and Mahatma Phule. You do not compare Maharashtra with other states, Maharashtra's people do not like this,” Pawar told reporters when asked about Adityanath's remarks. Shivaji Maharaj's teaching was to take all sections of society along, he said.

“When people from other states come here, they speak keeping their people in mind, but Maharashtra has never accepted it and it has been the history of all the elections here,” he added.