With his prestige and political career at stake, Sharad Pawar is keeping his ego aside and building bridges with his hitherto arch political enemies. For 50 years, there was bitter rivalry between the Pawar and Kakade families. The late Sambhajirao Kakade, head of the Kakade clan, had twice won the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati despite stiff opposition from the Pawars. A member of the Kakade family, Mrilalini Kakade, had even unsuccessfully challenged Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule's election on the ground that she was a citizen of Singapore where she had purchased properties.
However, Sharad Pawar decided to bury the hatchet and drove down to the Kakade household on Sunday after a hiatus of 55 years and broke bhakri with his rivals.
Earlier, Sharad Pawar mended fences with Anantrao Thopte, former minister who did everything possible to downsize the Maratha leader. Pawar has elephantine memory and is known to remember every insult hurled at him by his rivals. Despite this, he has walked several steps towards towards his political foes holding aloft the white flag of truce.
Sharad Pawar's Strategy for Supriya Sule's Seat In Baramati
If at the age of 84 he is bending it is only because of his deep anxiety to get his daughter Supriya elected. At it is no ordinary election that Baramati is witnessing. The BJP had brought about a vertical rift in the Pawar family by getting deputy CM Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra pitted against Supriya.
Meanwhile in a twist to the poll campaign in Baramati, senior leader Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil bid adieu to the BJP on Monday. Soon after announcing his resignation, he called on Sharad Pawar. He expected to join the NCP (SP) and may be given the ticket to contest from Madha. Alongwith other BJP activists, he is unhappy over the party's decision to retain Ranjeetsinh Naik Nimbalkar, sitting M.P. of Madha. Dhairyasheel is the nephew of former deputy CM Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and cousin of BJP legislator Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil.
NCP's Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar Opposes BJP Candidate In Madha
Yet another new angle was added on Monday with senior NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar opposing the candidature of Ranjeetsinh Naik Nimbalkar. He has demanded that the BJP change its candidate in Madha. There is strong opposition to the sitting M.P. from his own partymen.
However, BJP legislator from Daund Rahul Kul warned that if Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar campaigned against Ranjeetsinh Naik Nimbalkar in Madha, BJP workers in Baramati will not canvass support for Sunetra Pawar.
