Three-time MP from Baramati and Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, arrived at a local dargah in Baramati where she was to inaugurate a hall—as part of her election campaign and she had been meeting people in small groups. That day she was also billed to hold four condolence meetings with people who had lost their loved ones. Dressed in a simple, lavender-coloured cotton saree, she chatted with around 50 people gathered there in the morning. It was interesting to see the Muslim women do a “haldi kumkum” ceremony for Supriya and the Muslim men break coconuts as an auspicious gesture, ceremonies associated more with the Hindus.
After Ajit Pawar shifted his loyalty to the BJP last year, Baramati is witnessing a bitter “Pawar vs Pawar” political slugfest. In an interview, Supriya expresses her anguish at the latest turn of events.
Excerpts:
You have fought elections from Baramati three times. What is new about this election?
This is the first time it has become so personal. It’s never been personal in the past. None of my opponents in the past had made it personal like this. (This time) the attack is from the other side.
What is it that you are finding most difficult?
I am disappointed that my opponent is taking it this way. This is not my politics, my politics has been ideological. I never commented about personal things, not even (when I criticise) Narendra Modi or Amit Shah whose ideology I oppose. I take my job very seriously. For me, I am fighting the BJP. With all the might of the BJP, they could find only a Pawar to fight against me. They could find no one in their cadre to fight me.
People all over the country are now watching the full-scale ‘Pawar versus Pawar’ war that is being played out in Baramati, with all its political implications?
It’s very painful and uncalled for. What’s me and my sister-in-law have to do with it? My sister-in-law will always be my sister-in-law. We have never disagreed for 33 years. We have never taken strong stands against each other. Only recently, we spent two hours talking to each other and just chilling out. To bring my sister-in-law in, I find it very odd. She is not in NCP politics. But they have made it into a Pawar versus Pawar fight. It is not about an individual Pawar against another Pawar. Nor are Sharad Pawar or Ajit Pawar fighting this election. I find it juvenile when people talk about it in this fashion.
What do you think is the biggest challenge that faces you in Baramati today?
For me, it is the issue of water that is going to be a big challenge. Maharashtra is facing an enormous difficulty, there are water shortages… there has been no rain….Two of my dams are empty. This is of real concern to me. Water is a big issue coming up. Please understand that this is a parliamentary election, it is about policy and development. This is not a family affair … that Ajit Pawar is making it to be. There are serious issues (at stake).
Some people say that Ajit Pawar is the one who has done the work in Baramati and you have reaped the benefit.
There was a complete division of labour (between us on the work to be done). I never interfered (in the areas given to Ajit Pawar to look after). In Parliament when ministers would reply, they would (often) take my name, referring to the points I had raised (in speeches about what needed to be done). I had a civilised relationship with them. Ajit Pawar joined (the other side) only six months ago.
My team in the constituency did wonderful work—and that is why you see the work done in Baramati. It was not work done by an individual, it was teamwork. And “vikas” is not limited to cement and iron, it does not just mean constructing buildings.
It is going to be such a long election campaign in Maharashtra and for some reason, it is going to be a five-phase election in the state…
If you have a Supriya versus Sunetra for 50 days of the campaign, people are going to get tired of it.