Lara Zijl 
PM Modi at Pune Photo courtesy: ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a campaign rally in Pune, took a veiled dig at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. In the presence of members of the Pawar family, including Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is contesting the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against sitting MP Supriya Sule, Modi made pointed remarks.
“There is a ‘bhatakti atma’ (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not achieve success, it spoils others’ good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it,” said Modi, without explicitly naming Pawar. He further explained that this phenomenon began 45 years ago and has contributed to the state’s political instability. Many chief ministers, he noted, could not complete their full terms due to this disruptive force.
Modi emphasized that Pawar’s political maneuvering extended beyond opposition parties; it also affected his own political party and family. The veteran leader attempted to unsettle the saffron alliance government in 1995, insulted voters in 2019, and now seeks to unsettle the entire country. In response, Modi called for a settled government in Maharashtra under the Mahayuti coalition led by Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadanavis, and Ajit Pawar.
This rally marks Modi’s first appearance in Pawar’s home turf since the split in the NCP. Earlier, Ajit Pawar had shared the stage with Modi at a private award function following the party’s division.
