We are together at home: Sharad Pawar on nephew Ajit

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Former Union minister Sharad Pawar said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar, who is the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party.

"Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least)," the veteran politician while addressing the press at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region. He was responding to a query about the demand from "various quarters in the state" that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again.

Last year in July, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government as Deputy Chief Minister. While Ajit Pawar heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), his uncle floated the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) outfit.

Of late, there has been speculation over him continuing in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, news agency PTI reported.

When asked about Ajit Pawar's recent remarks that the decision to make his wife Sunetra contest the Lok Sabha polls against cousin Supriya Sule in Baramati was a mistake, the veteran politician said, "He is in a different party. Why should we comment on decisions taken by another party?" Sule is Sharad Pawar's daughter and the Member of Parliament from Baramati.

Sharad Pawar also said that deciding the chief ministerial face of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance - comprising his of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) - was not an urgent issue.

"When elections were held after the Emergency, Morarji Desai's name as PM (Prime Ministerial) candidate was not disclosed before polling," said Sharad Pawar.

"Our [MVA] attempt is to give a progressive alternative in Maharashtra with help of other outfits such as Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party," he said, adding, "Our observation is that the people of Maharashtra have made up their mind to give us (MVA) a chance in the ensuing elections."

When asked about Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's claim that sub-standard ghee with animal fat was used to make prasad laddoos at Tirupati temple during Jaganmohan Reddy's tenure as CM, Pawar said, "If anything was mixed, it is very wrong and action should be taken against those involved."

(With PTI inputs)