Ajit Pawar’s Political Regrets Too Late, Claims Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday criticized Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, stating that his regret over certain political decisions is pointless and predicted that Pawar would lose the upcoming state assembly election from his Baramati constituency.

Raut’s comments came after Ajit Pawar recently admitted it was a mistake to have fielded his wife, Sunetra, against his cousin Supriya Sule in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Pawar, who is the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, said family politics should have been kept out of the election.

Ajit Pawar joined forces with the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition last year, alongside several NCP leaders, leading to a split within the party founded by Sharad Pawar. This move caused friction in the Pawar family and the wider party, with Raut accusing Ajit Pawar of betraying his uncle.

Speaking to reporters, Raut stated, “It is too late for Ajit Pawar to feel remorse over his actions against his uncle Sharad Pawar. The betrayal he orchestrated will cost him the Baramati assembly seat.”

Ajit Pawar has been representing Baramati since 1991 and secured a landslide victory in 2019 against BJP candidate Gopichand Padalkar, winning by a margin of 1.65 lakh votes. However, he recently hinted that Baramati voters should have the chance to elect a different MLA to compare development under new leadership.

Raut also expressed concern over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Mumbai, accusing BJP leaders of trying to undermine the city both politically and financially. He criticized the decision to move the International Financial Services Centre from Mumbai to Gujarat, saying, “The BJP is systematically shifting key institutions from Mumbai to Gujarat, and we oppose these policies.”

The state assembly elections are set to take place next month.