"Misinterpreted": Ajit Pawar Junks Row Over "Last Poll" Remark For Uncle Sharad Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said his statement about the "sentimental appeal of a last election", which had come under fire from the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, was misinterpreted.

Addressing a gathering in Baramati on Sunday, the deputy Chief Minister said, "I do not know when some people are going to stop. There might be a sentimental appeal that this would be the last election. Do not know which will be the last election." The remarks were seen as a jibe at 83-year-old Sharad Pawar.

Hitting back, MLA Jitendra Awhad of the Sharad Pawar faction had claimed the deputy Chief Minister had "crossed all limits of decency" with his remarks.

"Ajit Pawar must think about his inhuman comments in which he allegedly prayed for the death of Sharad Pawar. Maharashtra now knows what kind of a man Ajit Pawar is," Mr Awhad said on Sunday.

Taking to microblogging site X on Monday, Ajit Pawar said, "What I said yesterday has been misinterpreted. From the very beginning, when the NCP was together, I have always said senior leaders should think about physical exertion and take care of their health. I had expressed this opinion before."

Without naming Awhad, he continued, "But some people try to use senior leaders for their own politics. They will not know these things. I have been expressing my feelings about them from time to time but some people have a habit of twisting things but I do not care about such dramatic people." Ajit Pawar said he had written this post as "common people should know my feelings".

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