Baramati, April 4 (IANS) Jay Pawar, the younger son of the late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, speaking on the Baramati by-election slated for April 23, said on Saturday that he never imagined he had to fight without Ajit Dada.

He remained confident in the local support base, stating, “If the opposition wants to fight, they should. Everyone knows what the people of Baramati will do in this election.”

His mother and NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar will file her nomination on April 6. Jay emphasised that he is currently focused on ground-level organisation rather than personal political ambition.

Speaking to reporters after visiting farmers and agriculture damaged by unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the adjoining Baramati areas, Jay reiterated, “I never imagined in my life that I would have to fight without Ajit Dada.” When pressed on how challenging this election feels, he said, “I cannot say much. I am emotional, and I don’t want to speak about everything in front of everyone.”

Addressing questions about the potential merger of the two NCP factions and the “Pawar vs Pawar” narrative, Jay Pawar took a diplomatic but family-first stance. “As a family, we are one. We speak to each other. After Dada passed away, the entire family came together. As for politics, it is not appropriate for me to comment; senior leaders will handle those discussions.”

Commenting further on the merger, he stated, “I am too small to speak on this. Senior leaders like Parth, Vahini (Sunetra Pawar), and the party elders will make those decisions.”

Jay Pawar also addressed the delay in his scheduled press conference, clarifying that he postponed it because NCP-SP legislator and his cousin Rohit Pawar had already covered the points he intended to raise. He emphasised that he is waiting for the final investigation report before making definitive claims to avoid creating unnecessary public confusion.

Raising a pointed question regarding accountability in the aircraft crash that killed his father, Jay Pawar stated, “I shared videos of Rohit Singh. I have one question for you. If a building collapses, the owner is arrested, not the engineer. If a hotel catches fire, the owner is arrested. So, why is the same logic not being applied here? Why is the owner of the company still not held responsible?”

Jay Pawar expressed frustration over the “incomplete” preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). He raised sharp questions regarding the accountability of the aviation firm involved, VSR Ventures.

He reiterated his demand for the arrest of Rohit Singh, the owner of VSR Ventures, and urged the DGCA to ground the company’s entire fleet until the final report is published.

–IANS

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