Baramati Battle: Sharad Pawar Says Public Will Decide Party’s Future Leadership
Baramati Battle: Sharad Pawar Says Public Will Decide Party's Future Leadership
Baramati, Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, 84, emphasized on Saturday that the party’s future leadership will be determined by the people. His comments came in response to Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar’s claim in Baramati, hinting at his succession after Sharad Pawar.
Baramati, a stronghold of the Pawar family, has become a battleground with Ajit Pawar contesting for an eighth term while Sharad Pawar’s faction has fielded Yugendra Pawar, Ajit’s nephew.
Pawar on Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme
Speaking at a rally in Satara, Sharad Pawar criticized the Mahayuti government’s “Majhi Ladki Bahin” scheme, suggesting it was an attempt to gain favor after setbacks in the Lok Sabha elections.
“The government launched this scheme to distribute ₹1,500 to around 2 crore women, which momentarily pleased the beneficiaries. However, they have not disclosed how long the scheme will last. The impact will not be as significant as anticipated,” he stated.
Pawar linked the scheme’s limited success to rising violence against women, noting that Maharashtra has seen 67,000 cases of violence against women in the past two years. “Around 64,000 women and girls have gone missing, including in Nagpur, home to the state’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The government claims to care for women, yet fails to protect them. This failure will have electoral consequences,” he warned.
Farmers’ Woes Highlighted
Pawar also shed light on the discontent among farmers, stating that many are struggling with crop failures and high input costs for essential crops like soybean and cotton. “Farmers are increasingly frustrated, and this frustration has tragically led to suicides,” he said, pointing out the challenges faced by the agricultural community under the current government.
The battle for Baramati continues to draw attention as both factions of the NCP vie for dominance in a region synonymous with the Pawar legacy.
