Ajit Pawar said he made a mistake by pitting his wife Sunetra Pawar against cousin Supriya Sule
Mumbai:
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said he made a mistake by fielding his wife Sunetra Pawar against his cousin Supriya Sule in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Ajit Pawar, who is currently on a nationwide 'Jan Samman Yatra', told Marathi news channel Jai Maharashtra that you should not allow politics in your own country.
As part of his massive awareness programme ahead of the state assembly elections, the deputy minister is promoting the government's 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana', which aims to provide Rs 1,500 in financial assistance to women every month.
In the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, Sunetra Pawar unsuccessfully contested the Baramati seat against NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, daughter of Ajit Pawar's uncle Sharad Pawar.
Sunetra Pawar was later elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
In July last year, Ajit Pawar and several other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government, leading to a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-founded Sharad Pawar government.
The Election Commission later declared that the Ajit-led group was the real NCP.
“I love all my sisters. Politics should not enter into homes. I made a mistake by fielding Sunetra against my sister. This should not have happened. But the parliamentary board (of NCP) took a decision. Now I feel it was wrong,” Ajit Pawar said.
When asked if he would visit his cousin next week during Raksha Bandhan, the NCP leader said he was on tour at the time and if he and his sisters were anywhere on that day, he would definitely meet them.
The deputy prime minister said he has decided to speak only about development and welfare programmes for farmers, women and youth and not to respond to criticisms against him.
Ajit Pawar also said that Sharad Pawar is a senior leader and head of the family and he did not want to respond to criticism from the latter.
On senior Pawar's position as a target for the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena, the NCP leader said the Mahayuti's allies should also understand what they are talking about.
“I give my opinion when we sit together,” he added.
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