He also poked fun at the power shortage in the state saying: "I have noticed that more children are being born since the lights go off at night. There is no other work left then."
Personal ambitions, arrogance and familial ties often shape politics in India. But does it help poor Indians ?
Ajit Pawar grew up holding his uncle Sharad Pawar's hands. But unlike his uncle - Ajit focused on power of regionalism, governance and control over local political networks. Sharaf Pawar pushed politics of "authority, manipulation and opportunism". Senior Pawar loved 'Maratha strongman' image and he also did well maintained media/perception management as a permanent PM material though he had only 7-8 MPs; Ajit Pawar was more practical and in 2022 did not doing business with BJP.
Both followed political instincts but analysts say Ajit was more grounded. Going for alliance was also Ajit's style of coming out of the shadow of his uncle.
"From an early age, Ajit Pawar was seen as the uncle's visible heir. But he was determined to forge his own path," says a BBC report. And probably because of this - Sharad Pawar started projecting his daughter Supriya Sule.
Born in 1959, Ajit Pawar entered politics in the 1980s under his uncle's mentorship, particularly focusing on the Pawar family stronghold of Baramati, the hub of politics over sugar cooperatives. But the complexity of Maratha politics is such that Ajit Pawar's death will not keep any vacant slot or vacuum behind.
That way despite the high profile; he was an average and run of the mill Neta.
But being average did not mean; he lacked the verb and the skill.
In 2019, Ajit Pawar shocked Maharashtra by briefly breaking ranks with his uncle and aligning with the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government and claim the deputy chief minister's post.
His effort to strike out by himself collapsed within days, undone by Sharad Pawar who intervened to reclaim control of the party and help his allies form the government
But for the first time, the family rift was out in the open. Ajit Pawar returned to the party, but the breach never fully healed. Moreover, Ajit could also win over uncle Sharad Pawar's longtime lieutenant Praful Patel
Things finally came to head four years later in 2022, when Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle's NCP party, joined a new governing coalition led by the BJP and claimed the post of the deputy chief minister once again. This time, he also managed to split his uncle's party and claim the name and electoral symbol of NCP.
Sharad Pawar saw stars during the day and his marginalisation was complete.
recent days, after civic elections in Pune and Mumbai, conversations had begun about the possibility of a reconciliation between the two factions of the NCP, led by uncle and nephew. Some speculated that Ajit Pawar might even emerge as the leader of a united party.
His sudden death has brought those possibilities to an abrupt halt.
In 2013, he said - "If there is no water in the dam, how can we release it? Should we urinate into it?"
Later, Ajit Pawar apologised for "hurting sentiments of people with such comment".
No comments:
Post a Comment