- Ajit Pawar says NCP split was to secure Maharashtra’s “stability and progress,” not personal gain.
- Praises PM Modi and CM Fadnavis for supporting Maharashtra’s development.
- Reiterates past calls for Sharad Pawar, now 84, to step aside for younger leaders.
- Family rift began after Ajit joined BJP–Shiv Sena alliance in 2023.
GG News Bureau
Nagpur, 19th Sept: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday defended his dramatic 2023 break with uncle Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), insisting the move was not driven by ambition but by a desire for “stability and progress” in the state.
Speaking at the NCP Chintan Shivir in Nagpur, Mr. Pawar said, “I did this not for power or position, but to ensure stability and progress in Maharashtra. We are in alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena, and I thank Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who have always shown a large heart for Maharashtra.”
Mr. Pawar, who joined the BJP–Shiv Sena government in 2023 after questioning his uncle’s leadership and age, reiterated that his decision strained family ties but was necessary for development.
Earlier, the 64-year-old leader had publicly urged the octogenarian Sharad Pawar to retire, arguing that “new people deserve a chance.” The elder Pawar had retorted he remained “effective, whether 82 or 92.”
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