'Modi Era Coming To End': Sharad Pawar Sheds Light On Maharashtra Political Scenario Ahead Of Assembly Polls | Jagran Exclusive

Even as his nephew Ajit Pawar has created a rift in the political stronghold of NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar, a key figure in Maharashtra's politics for decades, the determination to revive his old turf through hard work is clearly visible in this experienced leader.

There is no doubt that the claim made by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance—comprising Congress, NCP-SP, and Shiv Sena UBT—of coming to power in the state can be attributed to the influence of 84-year-old Sharad Pawar. In the prestigious elections, Sharad Pawar, who has become the central figure in the state's politics, asserts that the undercurrent is in favor of the MVA, while the Maha Yuti aims to counter this with money.

Sharad Pawar, commenting on Prime Minister Modi's attacks, sarcastically suggested that they are beneficial for him, expressing confidence that the result of the Maharashtra elections will send a message that the Modi era is coming to an end. Amid his busy schedule in Nashik on Wednesday, Sharad Pawar had an exclusive conversation with Sanjay Mishra, Associate Editor of Dainik Jagran. Here are the key excerpts from the interview.

Que- The election campaign is in its final stages, and you have traveled across the entire state. In this context, have you been able to sense the electoral mood in Maharashtra?

Ans- In the last 10 years in Maharashtra, except for Uddhav Thackeray’s government which lasted for about two years, the BJP and its allies have held power for the remaining eight years. However, I believe that the way they have been governing is not satisfactory to the people. Just a few months ago, the Maha Yuti government made some announcements of schemes, precisely because in the Lok Sabha elections, the people showed them their place by rejecting them. That's why they now think of taking popular programs to the people in this election. But ordinary people know that this is just an electoral gimmick by the Maha Yuti. After the elections, they won't do anything like this. Therefore, the mood of the people in Maharashtra is now to change the government by bringing in a shift in power.

Que- There is discussion that while there is good mutual understanding at the top leadership level of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, there is less coordination at the grassroots level among the workers. Is this true?

Ans- This is not true. All the partners of the alliance from every party are coming together with us. Just look here, the leaders and workers of all three parties are working together.

Que- Shiv Sena UBT is sending a message about making Uddhav Thackeray the Chief Minister. Does this not indicate internal infighting within the alliance?

Ans- There is no claim from any party within the MVA regarding the Chief Minister's post. The people of Maharashtra will decide who should be the Chief Minister. After the election results, Congress, NCP-SP, and Shiv Sena UBT will together decide on the CM. There is no discord among us, and such rumors are being spread by our opponents.

Que- Regardless of the direction in which the Maharashtra election results go, it is being said that it will have a significant impact on national politics. What is your assessment of this?

Ans- There is no possibility of victory for the BJP and its allies in Maharashtra. If they lose, the message will be sent across the country. Today, Prime Minister Modi may be running the country, but for this, he had to take the help of Chandrababu Naidu from Andhra Pradesh and Nitish Kumar from Bihar. Both of these leaders once strongly opposed BJP’s politics. I remember that when the first meeting of the INDIA alliance took place in Bihar, Nitish Kumar played a key role and gave a long speech about why it was necessary to create a strong political alternative to the BJP. Today, Modi ji is carrying these very people along. In such a scenario, if the Maha Yuti does not form the government in Maharashtra, and the real power is not going to them but to us, it will send a message that the Modi era is now on the path to its end.

Que- The Prime Minister tends to launch sharp attacks on you during elections, yet in normal circumstances, he praises you. Is there some underlying game between the two of you?

Ans- There is no hidden game. When the Prime Minister aggressively attacks me, it works to my advantage. Some newspapers have recently written that the PM has remained silent about Pawar Saheb and isn't speaking. His silence is actually a cause of concern for me, and he should speak up. When there are no elections and he speaks, that worries me more because he tells people that he follows Sharad Pawar's lead. I get concerned about my finger in that case. (Laughs).

Que- You are claiming a victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi. How many seats is the alliance going to win?

Ans- I can't say the exact numbers today. In the Lok Sabha elections, we won 31 out of Maharashtra's 48 seats, while they got 17. There was an undercurrent at that time, and I still see an undercurrent today that the people want change. The Maha Yuti's strategy is to counter this with money. We will have to see how much impact it has. Personally, I believe it won't have much effect. I have an example from the Lok Sabha elections: In one tehsil of Baramati, money was distributed to people after midnight. We were concerned it might affect the election results, but we actually got more votes from that tehsil than they did. This proved that while people took the money, they voted for whom they truly wanted. This understanding is in the people's minds, and that's why we are confident that the alliance will be given a chance.

Que- You are expressing concern about the increasing influence of money in elections, yet you remain optimistic about the results. Then, what is the nature of your concern?

Ans- My concern is that those who are in power in Maharashtra today have started using a lot of money. There has never been a tradition or culture of determining politics through money in Maharashtra. However, the ruling party is using a lot of money in this election. It didn’t happen in the Lok Sabha elections, but we will have to see what impact it has in the Assembly elections.

Que- Maharashtra has been a progressive state, but here, polarization is becoming more vocal in the electoral discourse, especially with discussions like "divide and cut." Do you not think this will increase your problems?

Ans- Modi ji is the Prime Minister. It is the responsibility of any PM to stay away from statements that create social divisions, propaganda, or animosity in the country. There is nothing wrong in presenting one’s political policies to the public. Criticizing the opposition is also not wrong. However, making statements that foster a sense of division in society is unbecoming. The PM has a responsibility to the society and the nation. The new trend that Modi ji has started is a result of the fact that a section of the OBCs has become awakened and is demanding its rightful share. To prevent this emerging group from asserting its rights, Modi ji is using language like "if there is division, what will happen?"

Que- Ajit Pawar has claimed that a meeting took place five years ago with senior BJP leaders to decide the political power in your state, and that industrialist Gautam Adani was also present. Is this true?

Ans- This is not true. First of all, it has never happened in Maharashtra that any political party can dictate who should be the Chief Minister. Yes, he may have come for some work, and they might have had a meeting. But the power to decide who will be the government and the CM in Maharashtra lies with the people of the state and its political parties. No industrialist has ever had that power, and they never will. As for the meeting with Adani, I have taken Ajit Pawar to meet not just him, but many other industrialists and businessmen as well, but the agenda was always focused on Maharashtra’s development and industry. He should mention the names of all the other people, not just one.