Sanjay Raut, a member of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), compared Ajit Pawar to a woodpecker and suggested that he might be used by Devendra Fadnavis to create problems for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Raut expressed this analogy in his print column amid controversy over a meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar at an industrialist’s residence in Pune.
Raut clarified that, to the best of his knowledge, the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar was not political. He explained that both Pawars hold positions in various non-political organizations in Maharashtra, and the meeting revolved around the functioning of these organizations.
Drawing from an old cartoon by Balasaheb Thackeray that depicted Sharad Pawar as a woodpecker capable of creating problems, Raut metaphorically implied that Ajit Pawar has taken on that role. He suggested that Ajit Pawar’s actions within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) could be used by Devendra Fadnavis to destabilize Eknath Shinde’s position.
Raut also mentioned that there has been a delegation voicing concerns over Eknath Shinde’s appointment as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, believing it to be a setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Raut indicated that Shinde has asserted his intention to remain Chief Minister even after the 2024 state assembly elections, which raises questions about why Ajit Pawar’s involvement would be necessary.
Raut provided insight into the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, explaining that Sharad Pawar brought Ajit Pawar into politics and that the meeting focused on the future of educational and agricultural institutions associated with the Pawar family. He emphasized that while there might be confusion due to the ongoing political dynamics, the meeting was primarily about these institution’s future.
