'ED case ploy to target Sharad, Ajit Pawar politically'

As veteran politician and top NCP leader Ajit Pawar hovers around Maharashtra, in his home seat of Baramati, his wife Sunetra Pawar takes charge. For Dada, as the nephew of NCP founder-president Sharad Pawar is popularly known, the polls are very important.

Besides her husband Ajit and nephew Rohit Pawar, half a dozen of her relatives are contesting polls from different seats in Maharashtra.

Both, Pawar Sr and Jr, address just one rally in Baramati, generally on the day the campaign ends.

Taking time off her busy schedule, the usually media-shy Sunetra Pawar spoke to DH correspondent Mrityunjay Bose in Baramati.

Q. How has the campaign been progressing?
A. Campaigns are just another occasion to meet people. Whenever Saheb (Sharad Pawar) and Dada (Ajit Pawar) are here, they make it a point to meet people. You can ask anyone over here. We are getting a very good response.

Q: The Pawar uncle-nephew duo has been booked in connection with the MSCB scam. How are the people responding to it?
A: To be very frank and to the point, people are very unhappy about it. They clearly understand that it is a ploy to target them politically.

Q: The BJP is seeking votes from GenNext. They are asking for votes on issues like surgical strikes along the LoC, the Balakot airstrikes and abrogation of Article 370.
A. The younger generation has to learn more. They should not just depend on social media forwards. They are raising the issue of nationalism. We are also nationalists. You see the development of Baramati and how it has been developed.

Q. Your son, Parth Pawar lost the Lok Sabha elections from Maval.
A. Yes, he lost. He is learning. He is learning politics day by day. He is meeting more and more people.