"Only Padwa is celebrated separately, rest all traditions will be celebrated together": NCP leader Parth Pawar
Baramati: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's son Parth Pawar on Saturday said that only Diwali Padwa is being celebrated separately, rest all the traditions will be celebrated together, adding that they will celebrate Bhai Dooj together.
"This is the tradition of Pawar family...we are celebrating Diwali Padwa here after 20+ years. We kept separate Padwa because people wanted that because after our split, we did not attend Padwa. Our party members and leaders wanted a separate Padwa...only Padwa is being celebrated separately, rest all the traditions will be celebrated together only but not this year because of the election campaign, everyone will be busy. Next year we will celebrate Bhai Dooj together," Parth Pawar told ANI.
Amid rising political tensions ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Pawar family divided its Padwa festivities.
The Baramati constituency in Maharashtra is again going to witness a family battle as NCP leader Ajit Pawar will face his nephew Yugendra Pawar. He is the son of Ajit Pawar's younger brother Shrinivas Pawar.
Baramati also witnessed a high-profile battle in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when Sunetra Pawar contested against NCP (SCP) candidate Supriya Sule. The latter won the contest by 1.5 lakh votes.
Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -- comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress -- have intensified their preparations for the upcoming elections to 288 Assembly seats in the State. The BJP is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance alongside the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Maharashtra elections will be held in a single phase on November 20 with counting of votes held on November 23.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
