Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, took a swipe at his uncle Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on Wednesday amid the escalating political conflict within the party, telling him to step aside and give the younger generation a chance to lead. He added that even BJP leaders retire at age 75.Ajit Pawar also attributed the NCPs failure to succeed in electing a chief minister of Maharashtra in 2014, despite having the support of the majority of MLAs, to the 82-year-old Sharad Pawar.Addressing the party supporters and legislators, Ajit Pawar said, “You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar)…But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60…even in politics – BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi…That allows the new generation to rise…”“You (Sharad Pawar) give us your blessings…The other day, he went to YB Chavan memorial…I have also been there…but you are 83, arent you going to stop…Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life.”“In the 2004 Vidhan Sabha election, NCP had more MLAs than Congress. Had we not given the Chief Minister post to Congress at that time, till date, Maharashtra would have had a Chief Minister only from Nationalist Congress Party”.#WATCH | Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar says, You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar)…But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60…even in politics – BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani… pic.twitter.com/T2XqCzEH89— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2023Maharashtras deputy CM further added that Sharad Pawar, in the month of May announced that he will step down as the NCPs national president but later took back his decision after protests.Ajit Pawar should have approached me: Sharad Pawar after nephews tauntThe statement came shortly after Sharad Pawars nephew candidly told that it was time for him to retire and hand over the reins of the NCP to him.Addressing NCP leaders and supporters at a power show in Mumbai, Sharad Pawar said, “Ajit Pawar should have spoken to me if he had any problems. If he had something on his mind he could have approached me.”The veteran also claimed that the election symbol of the party is with them, and “it will not go anywhere, the people and party workers who brought us to power are with us.”The party symbol is with us, it is not going anywhere. The people and party workers who brought us to power are with us: NCP President Sharad Pawar https://t.co/IppjUVijAz pic.twitter.com/oKsaULDWIv— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2023Dont disrespect our father: Supriya Sule after Ajit Pawars jibeSupriya Sule, the working president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday lashed out at Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for taking a dig at her father and party veteran Sharad Pawar over his age.“Disrespect us, but not our father (Sharad Pawar). This fight is against the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The BJP is the most corrupt party in the country,” Sule said in Mumbai.Ajit Pawar has joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis, after taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
