NCP crisis: Does Sharad Pawar have bigger plans for grandnephew, Rohit?

The Pawar family is at the centre of the current political crisis in Maharashtra. With Ajit Pawar rebelling against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo and his uncle Sharad Pawar by joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the political split within the party is left wide open. There is one younger Pawar who has made his leanings explicitly clear in this uncle vs nephew battle. Not only has Rohit Pawar declared support for his granduncle Sharad Pawar but has also been seen alongside the NCP veteran multiple times after Ajit’s revolt. Who is Rohit Pawar, what has he said about his uncle Ajit Pawar breaking ranks with the NCP chief? How can the rebellion affect the 37-year-old’s role in the party? Let’s take a closer look. Who is Rohit Pawar? Rohit is the grandson of Sharad Pawar’s elder brother Appasaheb Pawar. He was born to Rajendra and Sunanda Pawar on 29 September 1985 in Maharashtra’s Baramati, noted News18. Rohit Pawar is currently an NCP MLA from the Karjat Jamkhed constituency in the Ahmednagar district which he won in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections by defeating BJP heavyweight Ram Shinde. He made his electoral debut in 2017 by contesting the Zilla Parishad election from Shirsuphal-Gunawadi constituency in Pune’s Baramati, as per an Indian Express report. [caption id=“attachment_12824492” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Rohit Pawar with Congress’ Dhiraj Deshmukh in 2019. PTI File Photo[/caption] Rohit was NCP’s star campaigner in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2021, he started the Swarajya Dhwaj yatra wherein he took the saffron flag of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s Swarajya across Maharashtra. During the yatra, the first-time NCP MLA reached out to people from different castes and communities. In the end, Rohit hoisted the flag atop the Kharda fort in his constituency, the newspaper added. According to Indian Express, the Pawar scion is striving to build an image as a leader involved in politics of “development, industrialisation and youth-related issues”. One of the vocal NCP MLAs, Rohit took over the reins of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in January this year. Since taking over as MCA president, he has been credited for reviving the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL), as per The Hindu. Rohit is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Baramati Agro Ltd. ALSO READ: With Ajit Pawar’s entry, is BJP trying to ‘replace’ Eknath Shinde as Maharashtra CM? ‘Knew BJP’s plan to break the NCP’ Speaking to reporters in Pune outside Pawar Senior’s residence on Monday (3 July), Rohit said senior leaders were aware of the Bharatiya Janata Party’S (BJP) “intention” to “break” the NCP. However, he claimed they did not expect Ajit Pawar’s move. On Sunday, Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs, including seniors like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse-Patil, joined the Maharashtra government. He said voters are feeling “disgusted” with the current political situation in the state. “Even young MLAs who came to politics with some idealism are wondering if we made a mistake by entering politics”. When asked if he had an inkling about his uncle Ajit Pawar’s move, Rohit, as per Indian Express, said: “Nobody anticipated he (Ajit Pawar) will go. But we definitely had suspicions that the BJP will try to break the NCP. Today, the people’s mandate is not with the BJP and hence there was suspicion that it will try to break NCP as it had done with Shiv Sena". He added: “My respect for Ajit kaka will be the same even after what has happened. In my personal life, he has helped me a lot”. “However, Sharad Pawar has been my mentor and he has introduced me to politics. So, I will always be with him,” Rohit said, as per Hindustan Times (HT). 

#WATCH | On Maharashtra political situation, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar (grand nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar) says "I will not comment on why an individual has gone there, but what is more important is that why we are here. Voters are upset about the recent happenings in Maharashtra.… pic.twitter.com/UZKPVCTICS

— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2023

Backing the NCP supremo, Rohit had also posted a video on Sunday: “Struggle lies ahead… but who is going to stop? Entire Maharashtra is with Sahyadri..(referring to Sharad Pawar). The wind will blow from the valleys and villages… Then who is afraid of the struggle? Fighting and winning is in Maharashtra’s blood.”

वाट आहे संघर्षाची...
म्हणून थांबणार कोण?
सह्याद्री सोबत आहे महाराष्ट्र सारा
दऱ्या खोऱ्यातून अन् गाव शिवारातून वाहणारा वारा...
मग संघर्षाला घाबरतंय कोण?
लढणं आणि जिंकणं हे तर महाराष्ट्राच्या रक्तातच... pic.twitter.com/fORmLbW6tk

— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) July 2, 2023

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A bigger role for Rohit Pawar in NCP? As per an HT report, Rohit was the first to rush to senior Pawar’s residence when the news of Ajit Pawar’s rebellion broke. Flanked by his grandnephew on the side, the NCP supremo had addressed the mediapersons at his Modi Baug residence in Pune on Sunday. “I don’t have to worry about my old colleagues who have joined the other party. My priority is to create new leadership for Maharashtra,” senior Pawar had told reporters. ALSO READ: After Maharashtra, why Bihar could be the next state to witness political turmoil Rohit also accompanied Sharad Pawar when he left for Karad on Monday.

सातारा दौऱ्यावर असताना आदरणीय पवार साहेबांना लोकांचा असा विराट पाठिंबा मिळतोय...#लोक_माझे_सांगाती pic.twitter.com/unjyYPdWAp

— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) July 3, 2023

In early May, when Sharad Pawar had announced his resignation as the NCP chief, besides Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule, Rohit was also seen as the frontrunner for the post. However, later, Sharad Pawar had taken back his decision to resign. NCP leaders say now is the right time for Rohit, who is already popular in his constituency, to grow within the party, reported Indian Express.  Amid the current developments, a senior political leader from Pune, close to the Pawar family, told HT on the condition of anonymity, “Pawar senior has given a clear message that Rohit would replace Ajit Pawar to some extent in the near future.” According to Indian Express, a close aide of Rohit believes the NCP MLA’s directness can work in his favour. “Unlike Ajit, Rohit never held back in attacking the BJP, or Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.” The close aide also revealed that Rohit had “big ambitions” and “wants to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather”, the newspaper added. On Monday, when asked if the recent developments have “created a bigger political canvas for him to work on”, Rohit, as per HT, said, “I have never thought about the political canvas. I have been working in the party and for the people who have elected me.” With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.