MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) expressed regret over a significant political decision involving the family he made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and admitted that it was a mistake to field his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against his cousin, Supriya Sule, in the Baramati constituency. 

Pawar, who is currently on a statewide 'Jan Samman Yatra', told Marathi news channel Jai Maharashtra, "I love all my sisters. One shouldn't allow politics to enter homes. I made a mistake in fielding Sunetra against my sister. This shouldn't have happened." He was quick to add that this was not his own decision and attributed the move on the decision taken by NCP's parliamentary board.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections that were held earlier this year, Sunetra Pawar was fielded as NCP's candidate from the Baramati seat against sitting Supriya Sule, daughter of Ajit Pawar's uncle Sharad Pawar who heads the breakaway faction, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP_SP) and there were several moments of acrimonious exchanges between the two factions during the campaigning however Sunetra Pawar lost the elections, but was later elected to the Rajya Sabha.

In July 2023, the majority of the elected MLAs and MLCs of NCP led by Ajit Pawar joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, leading to a split in the party founded by Sharad Pawar who formed the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) after EC recognised the Ajit Pawar faction as the original party. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government and he was made the deputy chief minister.

As part of his outreach programme ahead of the state assembly polls that are scheduled later this year, Ajit Pawar has been focusing primarily on the government's 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana', aimed at providing financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21-60 years to attract the attention of the public. In June he presented a a Rs 6,12,293 crore budget in the Maharashtra Assembly, offering various incentives aimed at farmers, women, the poor, and youth, in a bid to win over different voter groups ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. 

While presenting the budget Pawar had introduced the Ladki Bahin scheme, which will provide a monthly allowance to eligible women through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), leading to an annual expenditure of Rs 46,000 crore for the government. He also said that 46 lakh farmers in the state will be benefiting from a waiver of electricity bill dues, costing the government Rs 14,761 crore.