Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar said that their primary objective is to bring the Mahayuti alliance to power with a majority, and the decision on the Chief Minister will be taken later. “But one thing is certain—the Chief Minister will be from Mahayuti,” he said.
Mr. Pawar, who was in the family stronghold of Baramati as part of his ‘Jan Sanman Yatra,’ a statewide outreach campaign promoting welfare schemes for women, youth, farmers, and minorities, told The Hindu in an exclusive interview that it’s not just about his uncle and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar; he has decided not to criticise anyone.
Also read: Mahayuti seat-sharing talks to conclude in 10 days; MVA completes talks for Mumbai region
Having rebelled against the octogenarian Maratha strongman to join the BJP-led NDA in July last, the five-time Deputy CM, who presented 10 State budgets, stated that his party is willing to contest more than 60 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.
However, he was reserved when asked about his current equation with Mr. Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Supriya Sule, choosing not to delve into the details of their personal or political dynamics.
Edited excerpts:
What is the ‘Jan Sanman Yatra’ about, and why is the campaign theme pink? This seems like a stark contrast to your usual image, as alleged by the Opposition leaders.
We are Jan Sevaks. Some may call themselves Pradhan Sevak, but I prefer Jan Sevak. The primary purpose of this yatra is to express gratitude to the people of Maharashtra and inform them about or promote our newly launched schemes, particularly the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme, which provides financial assistance of ₹1,500 per month to women, and the free electricity initiative. It’s about taking our new initiatives directly to the people and explaining the work we’ve done. Over 1.60 crore women are already benefiting from the financial assistance scheme, and the response has been overwhelming and expect the total number of beneficiaries will cross two crores.
As for the pink colour, why not? It’s a colour that resonates with women, and this time, most of our schemes are women centric. I’ve also changed my approach. Now, I have the responsibility of the party, which earlier rested with Pawar saheb (referring to his uncle and NCP patriarch, Sharad Pawar). With increased responsibility, one’s behaviour and working style naturally evolve.
Do you expect the Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme to impact the upcoming Assembly polls? The Opposition claims that the scheme was announced because your ruling alliance faced setbacks in the Lok Sabha elections.
We’re not saints. Governments introduce various schemes, and those that become popular and effectively reach the intended beneficiaries are continued, while those that don’t receive enough response are discontinued. This is how governance works. Why do we call it People versus Government?
Each of the Mahayuti partners refers to the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ by different names. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde uses the full name, while the BJP shortens it to ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana.’ You refer to it as the ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana.’
There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a long name, so we’ve shortened it to ‘Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ for easier recall. People will remember it more easily. Just as we refer to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sethu as Atal Sethu or the Rajiv Gandhi Worli Sealink as Rajiv Sethu, it’s a matter of convenience.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, State Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during the launch of ‘Majhi Ladki Baheen Yojana’, in Yavatmal, Maharashtra recently. File photo
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Will you announce the Chief Minister candidate before the elections?
No. Our primary objective is to bring the Mahayuti alliance to power with a majority, and we’ll decide on the Chief Minister later. But one thing is certain—the Chief Minister will be from Mahayuti.
You recently said that fielding your wife, now Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, against your cousin Supriya Sule from Baramati was a mistake. What made you change your mind?
As you know, I speak from the heart. Recently, after the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Sindhudurg, I apologised to the 13 crore people of Maharashtra, regardless of the reasons behind the incident. We’ll investigate and take action. He is our revered deity, and I apologised and moved forward. Similarly, I felt that fielding my wife in the Lok Sabha elections wasn’t the right decision, and I simply expressed my feelings. No one prompted me to do so.
Why have you decided to refrain from criticising Sharad Pawar?
It’s not just about saheb; I’ve decided not to criticise anyone. Did I take any jabs at anyone today? No. After the Lok Sabha polls, I spoke about the Abki Baar 400 Paar narrative, which didn’t sit well with people, especially among SC, ST, and Minority communities. They assumed the government would change the Constitution and implement the CAA, as the Opposition campaigned. This created an undercurrent, and people voted for the other side. We were falling short in countering the narrative created by the Opposition.
Who will contest from the Baramati seat in the upcoming Assembly polls? You’ve mentioned that you’re not interested after being elected seven times since 1991.
I have nothing to say about that. The party leadership will decide and announce the candidate.
What is your strategy for the upcoming elections, and how many seats are you aiming to contest?
We’ll work as Mahayuti and at the party level to reach out to the people. There will be many candidates. For instance, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena plans to field 225 or 250 candidates. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and AIMIM will also field candidates. Plus, there will be many independent candidates. Seats should be allocated based on electoral merit. Seat-sharing should reflect the strength of the party’s candidate in each constituency.
You’ve mentioned that your party would contest 60 seats?
Not just 60. In the last elections, our party won 54 constituencies, and six others were with us, making a total of 60. So, we’re definitely interested in contesting those 60 seats, and of course, we’ll seek more.
Do you think Manoj Jarange-Patil’s agitation will impact the polls, and what is your stance on Maratha reservation?
Not just me, but everyone believes the Maratha community should be granted reservation. We passed the reservation bill in both Houses of the Assembly unanimously. I’m not sure if the issue will impact the polls, but one thing is certain—Mr. Jarange-Patil has called for applications from people willing to contest.
Beyond Western Maharashtra, where are your party’s strongholds?
We have strong pockets in various regions. For example, in Beed district, where we have a couple of MLAs.
What is your current relationship with Mr. Sharad Pawar and Ms. Supriya Sule?
They’re busy with their work, and I’m focused on mine.
Will you take former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik into your party, given the BJP’s opposition to him?
The party will decide on that matter; such decisions are not made by one person alone.
