Rohit Pawar sulks for not being part of shadow cabinet

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar has sunk into a sulk purportedly for “being ignored” by the party. This comes at a time when speculations are rife that some MLAs from the party are contemplating switching loyalties to the party’s rival faction.

The grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar expressed his unhappiness recently when he was kept out of responsibilities allocated to leaders ahead of the local body polls. While on Sunday he took to social media to make a jab at the leadership, especially the party’s state unit chief Jayant Patil for the latter’s silence on many of the ruling Mahayuti’s decisions, on Monday, the 39-year-old said, the party’s decision to bench him from the shadow cabinet may be backed by the belief that he was falling short of working hard as an MLA. He added that his despondency with the party was not isolated either.

“The entire state is upset with the opposition parties as they are not listening to people’s issues. Moreover, only a few NCP (SP) leaders are talking against the government,” he said. “There are many senior leaders in the party but few are seen opposing the Mahayuti government’s many misdeeds.”

Groomed by Sharad Pawar, Rohit chose to align with Pawar during the vertical split engineered by his uncle Ajit Pawar in 2023. He is among 10 party MLAs elected in the recently held state assembly elections where the NCP (SP) along with other two allies — Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress — had to face a humiliating defeat.

“I’m not unhappy because I did not get any responsibility, although it is sad that some leaders feel that I am lacking despite working for seven years. My larger view is that these are the days to fight and struggle; and we should do so with full vigour,” Rohit told reporters at Vidhan Bhavan, on Monday, when asked about the party’s decision, stressing that his “fight for people will continue”.

“His (Sharad Pawar) support is enough for me to continue to do what I have been doing,” he pointed out.

According to NCP (SP) insiders, Rohit’s current state of mind is the result of his failure to affect change in the party’s leadership which Patil has occupied for several years. “He also wants to make his own space in the party and is doing what it takes to achieve that. However, he is not getting support from the party leadership,” said a senior party leader.