Caught off-guard by the sudden resignation of his nephew, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar argued that his nephew Ajit Pawar was upset over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lodging a case against him. The NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar late on Friday evening tendered his resignation as MLA from Baramati.
Speaking to newspersons at his Modibaug residence in Pune, Pawar senior remarked “I was not aware of his decision. He is a fighter and a blunt speaker who will not leave the battle-field. I learnt about it after speaking with his family”.
The NCP chief stated that according to his (Ajit Pawar) family, Ajit Pawar was “greatly disturbed” at the manner in which his uncle Sharad Pawar’s name was dragged in the alleged Rs.25,000 crore scam in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd. (MSC Bank). “I get the impression Ajit Pawar may even consider quitting politics,” exclaimed Pawar.
Pawar senior further remarked “there used to be problems related to the MSC Bank in the cooperative sectors, which we used to sort out with the help of other agencies. But Ajit Pawar is particularly distressed after my name (Sharad Pawar’s) came in the picture”. He said that Ajit Pawar was extremely disgusted over the depths to which politics has plummeted in recent years and gone to extent of advising his son Parth against joining politics and instead take up farming or get into some other business.
“The real reasons behind his decision I will learn only after I meet him… I can assure that there are no differences in the family where I am the head and my word is final. There may have been disputes over some political issues but even those were ironed out after discussions,” Pawar said, urging the media not to portray the family in bad light.
The development came on a fast-paced day when nominations for the October 21 state assembly elections opened against the backdrop of Sharad Pawar’s aborted plans to visit the ED office to join the investigations. Ajit Pawar, was conspicuous by his absence today at Sharad Pawar’s Silver Oaks Apartments when the NCP chief finally announced he was not going to the ED office.
