Yevla (Maharashtra), Nov 12 (PTI) Sharad Pawar addressed his first rally after the NCP was hit by internecine rebellion last year in the Yevla constituency of his former confidant Chhagan Bhujbal and apologised for giving a “wrong candidate” in 2019 polls.
With campaigning for the November 20 assembly polls entering the home stretch, Pawar on Tuesday made an emotional appeal to voters to defeat the “betrayer”, reflecting the deep hurt caused by Bhujbal siding with Ajit Pawar last July.
Addressing a rally on Bhujbal’s home ground Yevla, the veteran politician disclosed that post the NCP split, Bhujbal visited his residence and offered to mediate between him and Ajit Pawar, but never showed up again.
Pawar said despite giving several opportunities to Bhujbal, ranging from the opposition leader to deputy chief minister overlooking his foibles, he crossed all limits of political decency and went on to betray him.
The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief said Bhujbal has the reputation of ditching his mentors including himself (Pawar) and the late Bal Thackeray, and appealed to voters to teach the turncoat leader a lesson.
“Bhujbal made fun of Balasaheb Thackeray who had made him the mayor of Mumbai. When he feared attacks from Shiv Sainiks, who were hurt by the jibes at Thackeray, I protected him. Later, we fielded him as a candidate when he expressed the desire to contest elections, but he lost,” Pawar said.
Bhujbal had defected from the Shiv Sena and aligned with Pawar in the Congress in 1991. Bhujbal also walked out of the Congress with Pawar, when the latter formed the Nationalist Congress Party in 1999.
Pawar said when Bhujbal lost the assembly elections, he sent him to the Legislative Council and even made him the Leader of the Opposition.
“When I founded the NCP, I made Bhujbal the first state president of the party. I made the mistake of fielding him from Yeola and making him the second important minister in the government,” Pawar said.
Pawar recalled that Bhujbal committed some mistakes and had to resign as minister, but was taken back in the government after he gave an assurance of correcting himself.
“I stood by him when he had to go to jail after some allegations were levelled at him and even gave him a post in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government,” he said.
Pawar said when the NCP was split, Bhujbal had come to his residence and offered to mediate between him and his renegade nephew Ajit Pawar.
“He offered to mediate and left but has not returned ever since. He even took oath (as minister) the next day,” Pawar said.
The NCP-SP supremo said Bhujbal, who has betrayed his mentors, will come seeking votes from the people of Yevla.
“It is up to you to decide whether to support such a person,” Pawar said.
Bhujbal is pitted against NCP-SP candidate Manikrao Shinde.
The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.
Located in Nashik district, Yevla is home to one of the biggest onion wholesale markets in the country.
Also famous for the Paithani sarees, the constituency comprises 3,26,626 voters, including nearly 1.35 lakh Marathas.
Bhujbal (77), who hails from the Mali OBC community, started as a vegetable vendor in Mumbai’s Byculla market.
When Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966, Bhujbal was among the first to join it, advocating for the rights and pride of the Marathi community.
Once a fierce supporter of the Hindutva ideology, Bhujbal joined the Congress in 1991 when Sharad Pawar was the chief minister. He focused on expanding his influence among the OBCs in the state.
Last year, Bhujbal justified his decision to join the Ajit Pawar camp, stating it was motivated by the concern for voters, whose needs must be addressed.
