Divided Diwali: Pawar Clan's Political Padwa Split in Baramati

In Baramati, the Pawar family now hosts separate Diwali Padwa festivities amid growing political tensions. As Maharashtra's assembly elections approach, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar lead rival events and electoral battles, embodying the split within the family and their party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

In a poignant illustration of the political rift, Baramati, Maharashtra, witnessed divided Diwali Padwa celebrations, orchestrated by separate factions of the influential Pawar family. Once a unified festivity led by Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar, the event now mirrors the political stakes as Maharashtra's assembly elections loom.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar hosted his own Padwa celebration at his residence, while Sharad Pawar and NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule maintained the traditional gathering. Rohit Pawar, another family member, highlighted the split as a consequence of broader political divides, questioning rivals' motives behind initiating a parallel celebration.

The fractures extend beyond festivities; Baramati gears up for another electoral confrontation, with Ajit Pawar facing his nephew Yugendra Pawar. The split is emblematic of the larger political alignments in the state, as both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi sharpen their campaigns ahead of the November 20 elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)