Ajit Pawar Resurfaces, Creates More Questions Than Answers

Nationalist Congress party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar’s clarifications about his mysterious weeklong absence and his unannounced resurfacing have created more questions than the answers he has given. Ajit, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, hit out at the media in Pune ‘for writing reckless stories’ about his absence from the scene. Ajit explained that he was abroad from November 4 and returned on November 10. Angrily, he asked the media, “Why can’t you leave me alone? Don’t I have any private life? I have not gone abroad for the past six years. Why did none of you even try to call up my office and find out?” Ajit did not disclose which foreign country he had visited or why he had left the party’s Shirdi conclave last week suddenly or why the party spokesman was not ready to reveal any information about his absence. Moreover, his otherwise vocal cousin Supriya Sule or uncle Sharad Pawar, too, have refrained from saying a word, which is considered significant. Ajit’s silence was more acutely felt when Maharashtra agriculture minister Abdul Sattar’s statement in regard to Supriya had led to widespread demonstrations by NCP workers all over the state. Significantly, Ajit had welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the reservations for economically weaker sections during this same period. Ajit had left the NCP’s Delhi conference midway as well.