GG News Bureau
Solapur, 18th Nov. NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar has issued a stern warning to his detractors, urging them not to mess with him, and called on voters to not only defeat those who rebelled under his nephew, Ajit Pawar, but to “defeat them big” in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Addressing a rally at Madha in Solapur district on Sunday, ahead of the November 20 state polls, Pawar recounted an episode from nearly 50 years ago, where he lost his position as Leader of Opposition after a mass defection in 1980.
“When I came back from abroad, I realized that Chief Minister AR Antulay had worked a miracle, and 52 of our 58 MLAs had switched sides,” he said, explaining how he lost the post.
However, he noted, “I did nothing. I simply worked hard for three years, reaching out to people across the state. In the next elections, I fielded young candidates against those 52 defectors. And all 52 were defeated.”
The 83-year-old politician emphasized his long political career, claiming to have remained undefeated since becoming an MLA in 1967. “The people who betrayed me should be shown their place. Don’t just defeat them; defeat them big,” Pawar declared.
In a subtle jab at his nephew, who split from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in July 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, Pawar stressed that the message should be clear: “You can mess with anyone, but not with me.” His words were met with a roar of support from the crowd.
In the upcoming elections, Pawar’s faction, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), has fielded his grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, against Ajit Pawar, who has represented Baramati in the assembly since 1991.
The 83-year-old politician emphasized his long political career, claiming to have remained undefeated since becoming an MLA in 1967. “The people who betrayed me should be shown their place. Don’t just defeat them; defeat them big,” Pawar declared.
In a subtle jab at his nephew, who split from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in July 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, Pawar stressed that the message should be clear: “You can mess with anyone, but not with me.” His words were met with a roar of support from the crowd.
In the upcoming elections, Pawar’s faction, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), has fielded his grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, against Ajit Pawar, who has represented Baramati in the assembly since 1991.
The rivalry between the two factions of the Pawar family intensified after Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, contested against Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sule emerged victorious, and Ajit Pawar later admitted that fielding his wife was a mistake.
The post Sharad Pawar Vows to “Defeat Them Big” in Maharashtra Polls, Cautions Rivals appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
