Sharad Pawar rules out reunion with Ajit Pawar, slams PM Modi’s foreign policy, Trump tariffs

Pawar also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, especially discussing the strained ties with India’s neighbours.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, on Saturday, strongly dismissed speculation about reuniting with his nephew Ajit Pawar’s faction, asserting that "he (Sharad Pawar) would never support a BJP-led alliance".

His comments come days after the two were seen together at a family gathering in Mumbai.

The event, held on August 3, was the engagement of Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, son of Shrinivas Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s younger brother. The ceremony was reportedly attended by key family members, including NCP leader Supriya Sule and her family.

Despite the gathering, the Pawar vs. Pawar political tensions continue to run high following the 2023 split when Ajit Pawar broke away from Sharad Pawar’s NCP to join the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra.

Sharad Pawar reiterated his firm stance against aligning with those allied to the BJP, stating, “We cannot join hands with those who have joined hands with the BJP. We will take along only those who believe in the ideology of Gandhi, Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar.”

He was addressing a meeting in Nagpur.

Speaking at the gathering, Pawar also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, especially discussing the strained ties with India’s neighbours.

“Pakistan is against us, Nepal is angry with us, Bangladesh is angry with us, Sri Lanka is angry with us. All our neighbours are moving away from us. PM Modi should not ignore this and must focus on improving relations with them,” he said.

Also speaking on economic issues, Pawar criticised the US’ imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, calling it “an attempt to pressurise us.” While stopping short of declaring diplomacy a failure, he added, “Nobody has control over Trump. He does whatever comes to his mind. Not much attention should be paid to him.”

Furthermore, in a major political disclosure, Pawar revealed that ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, two individuals had allegedly approached him in New Delhi with a guarantee that the Opposition would win 160 of 288 seats.

Pawar said he introduced them to Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who rejected their claims and preferred the Opposition to engage directly with voters. Pawar further stated that he did not retain their names or contacts as he did not consider the matter credible.

In the recent Maharashtra assembly polls, the BJP secured 132 seats, while its allies Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 57 and 41 seats respectively.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), despite seeing success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, suffered a significant defeat. The MVA has alleged widespread tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and manipulation of electoral data.

Notably, Pawar’s revelations come amid ongoing controversy following Rahul Gandhi’s accusations of “vote theft” and alleged collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, charges Gandhi termed a “crime against the Constitution.”

(With inputs from agencies)