After Shiv Sena’s Dussehra Melawa, now Ajit and Sharad Pawar have their own Diwali Padwa celebrations

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar organized his own ‘Diwali Padwa’ celebrations in Baramati, breaking the five-decade tradition led by his uncle Sharad Pawar. The move is seen as a symbolic declaration of Ajit’s intention to establish himself as a standalone force in Maharashtra politics. All eyes are now on Baramati as the Pawar family is dividing its Padwa celebrations amid rising political tension ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Sharad Pawar recently announced the candidature of his nephew Yugendra Pawar for the Baramati assembly seat, putting him in direct competition with Ajit’s influence in the region.

Ajit’s move is reminiscent of recent political divisiveness in Maharashtra politics. Like Shiv Sena’s Dussehra Melawa, which is now organized separately by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. Ajit Pawar’s Padwa festival is one such step in this series, through which he is trying to strengthen his position independently. Ajit Pawar will meet local officials and party workers during the Diwali Padwa event, with an aim to garner support and outline his vision for Baramati and Maharashtra. The celebration is not just a celebratory occasion but a demonstration of Ajit’s tenacity and readiness to defend his political turf.

After his first election to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1967, Sharad Pawar started the Diwali Padwa tradition at his Baramati residence, Govind Bagh. Originally a family gathering, the event became an important political occasion, attended by party members and supporters from across the state. After Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on July 2, 2023, there was a political split in the family, the effect of which was also seen in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and as a result the NCP got divided into two. Last year, Ajit had refrained from hosting his own Padwa event but was present at the family’s Bhaubij festival, which had sparked speculations about reuniting with Sharad Pawar.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule retained her Baramati seat by a margin of about 1.5 lakh votes. In this election, Ajit Pawar had fielded his wife Sunetra Pawar to challenge his sister Sule. However, Sule proved his strong support base in the area by winning. But Ajith now seems determined to assert his influence by hosting his own Padwa. Ajit’s attempt to make himself a central political force also includes his separate Padwa festival. Reflects his campaign to claim a permanent role in the political landscape of Maharashtra.