Maha polls: Sharad Pawar’s bags checked, wife stopped outside textile park 

Quaid Najmi

Pune, Nov 17 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar joined the galaxy of political leaders who are being subject to ‘checks’ by the Election Commission of India officials in the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly elections.

A team of ECI officials conducted a thorough check of Pawar’s baggage and the helicopter in which he was proceeding to Solapur for a poll rally later this afternoon, raising eyebrows in political circles.

Simultaneously, Pawar’s wife Pratibha and their granddaughter Revati Sule were stopped outside the gates of the famed Baramati Hi-Tech Textile Park in the MIDC region, where they had gone for an interaction and shopping.

According to the NCP (SP) social media, both Pratibha Pawar and Revati Sule were barred entry to the textile park – and were forced to cool their heels for nearly half an hour, before they were allowed inside as a row erupted outside.

Interestingly, the textile park was set up through the efforts of Sharad Pawar in 2008, considered a landmark which threw up huge business and employment opportunities.

Its Chairperson is Sunetra Pawar, MP, and wife of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar – who is contesting the Baramati Assembly seat opposite his nephew, Yugendra S. Pawar.

The visibly annoyed Pratibha Pawar had an altercation with the security personnel outside who claimed that he got telephonic instructions to stop them from entering the premises.

She sought to know who had ordered them to be stopped and why, whether the park was shut or working (being a Sunday), and said that the duo wanted to go inside for shopping and “not for robbery”.

“I learnt that my mother and my daughter were prevented from entering the Park… See the irony, it was my father (Sharad Pawar) who brought it here, and his wife was not allowed inside. They are currently in power… and can do anything,” commented NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule in a sharp tone, as her luggage was also checked today.

Soon afterwards, Ajit Pawar commented saying that there were no directives from anyone to stop his aunt (Pratibha Pawar) or his niece (Revati Sule).

The two back-to-back incidents created a consternation in NCP (SP) circles with many slamming the authorities and alleging political motives, and videos of both the developments went viral on social media evoking strong reactions.

Besides Sharad Pawar, the top Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)-INDIA Bloc leaders including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena(UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress leaders and visiting dignitaries have been subjected to frisking of their aircraft and personal belongings.

After Thackeray kicked up a storm (November 11) when he reportedly became the first top leader to undergo the baggage checks, the ECI officials have also started scrutinising the luggage of ruling alliance leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: [email protected])