Will retire Pawar from political life: BJP leader

State BJP president and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday said that his party would "permanently retire" NCP founder-president Sharad Pawar from politics after the results of the October 21 Assembly elections in the state.

“We will make sure he (Sharad Pawar) permanently retires from social and political arena once the Assembly polls results are out (on 24 October),” said Patil at a BJP election rally in Kolhapur.

Patil himself is contesting the polls from Pune district but he is extensively touring the state.

Taking a swipe at the spate of defections from the beleaguered NCP in recent months to the ruling combine, Patil said: "It would not be surprising if the GenNext of the influential Pawar family switch over to the BJP in the coming times".

Pawar's nephew Ajit, a former deputy chief minister, is contesting from Baramati in Pune district while his grand-nephew Rohit is from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district.

Ajit's son Parth suffered an embarrassing defeat in the Maval Lok Sabha elections in the hands of Shiv Sena’s Shrirang Barne. Top leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, have repeatedly taken jibes to wipe out the influence of the Pawars in Maharashtra politics by 2024.

Last month, the Pawar uncle-nephew duo were booked by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.