Ajit Pawar Launches Assembly Poll Campaign From Baramati, Flags ‘False Narrative’ on Constitution

Baramati: NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday sounded the bugle for the assembly elections from Baramati, the bastion of Sharad Pawar, highlighting various welfare schemes, including the financial aid for women, to seek votes for the Mahayuti alliance.

Pawar asked Nationalist Congress Party workers to trust him and not believe in "false narratives", including the purported attempts to change the Constitution, spread by opponents.

"In the upcoming elections (due in October), some people will try to set a false narrative but do not believe it. Till we are alive no one will dare to change the Constitution," he said.

Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio in the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government, prominently highlighted the recently launched "Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana" which aims to provide monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women.

Pawar said he believed in using power for the welfare of the poor, farmers and women and the budget highlighted this objective.

"Poverty alleviation and development is my party's agenda while my opponents have focused on spreading fake narratives," he said.

Pawar said the Ladki Bahin scheme and measures like three free LPG cylinders, free college education for girls, free electricity for farmers and skilled entrepreneurship for youth were included in the budget aiming to ensure the welfare of all sections of the society.

Conscious of how the ban on onion export adversely affected the Lok Sabha poll outcome, Pawar said he had requested Union Minister Amit Shah to increase the MSP (Minimum Support Price) of sugar and appealed to NCP workers to be wary of "false propaganda" on the import of milk powder and onions.

"Shah has asked me to submit a report on the MSP hike demand. He is visiting Pune on July 21. Now, we have to make Mumbai the finance capital of the world," he added.

Pawar's choice of Baramati for addressing the rally of NCP workers is significant against the backdrop of his wife Sunetra Pawar's embarrassing defeat from this Lok Sabha seat against sitting MP and Sunetra's sister-in-law Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) stunned the ruling Mahayuti - which comprises BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP - by winning 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 polls.

"Do not worry. Rallies will be held across the state. Vote for the Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming assembly elections," Pawar said.

In a veiled dig at the Opposition, he asked NCP workers not to pay heed to misleading campaigns ahead of elections.

"Problems aren't solved emotionally, one should walk ahead with a vision. One more thing I would like to assure everyone is that nobody will touch or change the constitution of India," Pawar said.

He said political power is not permanent and should be used for the needy people.

Several NCP leaders including Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Sunil Tatkare, and Dhananjay Munde, attended the rally.