Party to decide whether his son will contest Baramati assembly seat, says Ajit Pawar
Pune, Aug 15: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said it was for his party to decide whether his son Jay Pawar will contest from the Baramati assembly constituency.
The NCP chief, who has been representing the constituency in Pune district for the last many terms, also said he was “not interested” in contesting elections anymore.
But state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare later said Ajit Pawar did not say that he would not contest the coming assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters, Ajit Pawar was replying to the question whether Jay will be fielded from Baramati as demanded by his supporters.
"It is democracy. I am not interested in that (contesting elections) as I have contested seven or eight elections. If the people and supporters think so, the (NCP) parliamentary board will discuss it,” he said.
If the parliamentary board and “people” felt that Jai should be fielded, the NCP was ready to field him, Ajit Pawar further said.
Notably, his elder son Parth Pawar had contested the Maval Lok Sabha seat in 2019 but lost by a heavy margin.
Asked if he would celebrate Raksha Bandhan with his cousin and rival NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, Ajit said he was currently on a state tour and would meet all his sisters in some place. "If Supriya Sule happens to be where I am, I will meet her," he added.
He also sought to debunk media reports about differences between him and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying that both were working together successfully.
Women in the state are happy as the first installment of Rs 1,500 under the `Ladki Bahin’ scheme has been credited into the accounts of 35 lakh women, Pawar said.
Asked about his recent remark that it was a mistake to field his wife Sunetra against Supriya Sule in Baramati Lok Sabha seat, Pawar said he had already talked about it.
“I am not someone who makes comments directed at some person. I speak whatever comes to my mind, and there is no need to do dissection," he said.
Elsewhere, Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare claimed that Ajit Pawar did not state that he would not contest the coming elections.
"Ajit Pawar did not say that he would not contest elections....he could have some plans. We want to win as many seats as possible,” Tatkare told reporters.
Notably, Rohit Pawar, an NCP (SP) MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed and grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar, had recently claimed that someone from the family who is close to Ajit Pawar could be fielded against him.
“The Mahayuti (coalition of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) is going to field candidates in my constituency to split votes. It was speculated that Ajit Pawar was under pressure to field someone from the family against Supriya Sule. Now, a similar strategy is being drawn up in my assembly constituency,” he had said.
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
