In NDA corner, Ajit Pawar reaches out to Muslims: ‘Committed to minorities’

HAVING hitched his wagon to the BJP-led NDA, Ajit Pawar is trying to stay the course as far as the Muslim vote goes. Mindful that the NCP has traditionally enjoyed Muslim support, Ajit and wife Sunetra have been courting members of the community, especially on the Pawar turf of Baramati.

One aspect of this is convincing the community that Ajit continues to “uphold secularism” and has only joined the NDA to “strategically propel” the development path being steered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP too has stated that its alliance with Ajit Pawar’s NCP isn’t ideological, but strategic.

A few weeks ago, the Ajit Pawar faction inducted ex-Congress MLA Baba Siddiqi into the party, and he is now being projected as its Muslim face.

Last week, Ajit and Sunetra — who may be his NCP faction’s candidate from the Baramati seat, against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule — addressed a rally of Muslims in the constituency. Sunetra, who has been doing a round of the dargahs in Baramati, paid a visit on Monday to the Pir Kamar Ali Durvesh dargah in Khed Shivapur. On Tuesday, along with another dargah, she visited a church, a gurdwara, and temples in Baramati town.

NDA partners BJP, Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Shinde Shiv Sena are yet to finalise a seat-sharing deal. So far, the Ajit Pawar NCP looks set to get Baramati, Shirur, Satara and Raigad seats, all of which the united NCP had won in 2019. Around 10% of the population is Muslim across these four seats, while in the state, their presence is closer to 12%.

At last week’s rally held for the community in Baramati, Ajit and Sunetra talked about their efforts to develop infrastructure such as Shaadikhana, a community hall for Muslims, and an Urdu school for Muslims in Baramati town.