Society doesn't like rift in families; realised my mistake: Ajit Pawar

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Noting that society doesn't like rifts in families, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said he experienced it and has already admitted his mistake, an apparent reference to the contest between his wife Sunetra and cousin Supriya Sule in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

This is the second time in less than a month that NCP leader Pawar publicly admitted he had made a mistake by fielding his wife against NCP (SP) leader Sule, the daughter of his uncle Sharad Pawar, and noted politics should not enter the home.

The "admission" of mistake came against the backdrop of poor performance by the NCP, one of the constituents of the Mahayuti alliance in the state, in its maiden general elections after a split in the party.

Addressing the Jansamman rally organised by the NCP in Gadchiroli city on Friday, Ajit Pawar tried to discourage party leader and state minister Dharmarao Baba Aatram's daughter Bhagyashri from crossing over to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

Speculation is going around about a potential contest between Bhagyashri and her father in the upcoming state assembly elections.

"Nobody loves a daughter more than her father. Despite giving her away in marriage in Belgaum, he (Aatram) stood by her in Gadchiroli and made her the president of Zilla Parishad. Now you (Bhagyashri) are set to fight against your own father. Is this right?" the deputy CM asked the gathering.

"You should support your father and help him win because only he has the capacity and determination to develop the region. The society never accepts breaking one's own family," he said.

This is like breaking the family, Ajit Pawar said, referring to the rift between Bhagyashri and her father over her political move.

"Society doesn't like this. I have experienced the same and accepted my mistake," he said.

The NCP led by Ajit Pawar suffered a severe drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, losing three of the four constituencies, including Baramati, it had contested. In contrast, the Sharad Pawar-led faction won eight out of the 10 seats it contested.

Aatram, an MLA from Aheri in Gadchiroli district, has sided with Ajit Pawar.

"Aatram's daughter learnt politics from her father. Aatram was a 'vastad' (master) in politics who always kept one move close to his chest and played it at the appropriate time. Like the vastad, Aatram too doesn't teach everything to his pupil,"Ajit Pawar quipped.