Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Ajit Pawar, faced criticism from an unexpected source—his elder brother, Srinivas Pawar—at a public event preceding the Lok Sabha elections. A viral video captured Srinivas expressing disappointment over Ajit's decision to leave the NCP and take several party leaders, including MLAs and MPs, with him.
Srinivas conveyed his disappointment, stating, "You might be surprised that I am against my brother. I have always supported and backed him, but I felt bad when he deserted NCP founder Sharad Pawar." He emphasised the importance of loyalty to Sharad Pawar, suggesting that Ajit should have offered the Baramati Lok Sabha seat to him.
In a poignant analogy, Srinivas remarked, "Does anyone kick their parents out of the house because the land is in their name? Whatever positions he (Ajit) got were due to Sharad Pawar. Now he says sit at home and do kirtan, I don't understand. The medicine we buy has an expiry date, just like relationships have an expiry date."
Accusing the BJP of orchestrating the rift within the family, Srinivas asserted, "This is all a BJP conspiracy. They wanted to finish off Sharad Pawar. They knew that if one of the family members was brought to their side, they could break the family."
Srinivas' wife, Sharmila, and their son, Yugendra Pawar, have also joined the campaign against Ajit in Baramati, indicating a familial divide over political allegiances.
