Pawar's grandnephew on Ajit's ‘retirement’ dig: ‘Parties are run by workers'
Ajit Pawar took a swipe at his uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar urging him to step down and give a chance to the new generation.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday dismissed rebel Ajit Pawar's “retirement” reminder to his 83-year-old uncle and party president Sharad Pawar, saying most of the legislators were elected due to him. Downplaying the numerical strength of Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Rohit, the grandnephew of the NCP chief, asserted that parties are run by workers and ideology and it is Sharad Pawar who “kept an ideology intact for 60 years.”
“When we entered politics in 2019 and contested the Vidhan Sabha election, Pawar Saheb was 82. Most of us were elected due to him. So, I don't think age matters much,” Rohit said.
“It is not as if existing MLAs alone are needed to win election, candidates are needed for it...This incident might give strength to a lot of people. Let's see.”
“Parties are not run by leaders but by workers, by ideology. Pawar Saheb kept an ideology intact for 60 years. Workers are working with that ideology. People will lose their faith in you if you keep changing your ideology,” he added.
Earlier today, Ajit Pawar reminded Sharad Pawar that it was time for him to retire.
"In BJP, leaders retire at 75, when are you going to stop,” Ajit Pawar said, speaking at the meeting convened by him in suburban Bandra as a show of strength.
“Everybody has his innings. The most productive years are from 25 to 75 years,” 63-year-old Ajit Pawar said.
He also blamed Sharad Pawar for NCP losing out on the chance to have a chief minister in 2004.
“We had more MLAs than Congress in 2004, but our senior leader allowed Congress to bag the CM's post,” he said.
“For us, Saheb (Sharad Pawar) is a deity and we have deep respect for him,” he said. “IAS officers retire at 60. Even in politics, BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi,” Ajit Pawar said. “You are 83, aren't you going to stop? Give us your blessings and we will pray that you live a long life,” Ajit Pawar said.
