Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar’s promotion of Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad as the one ‘who will change the lives of people of Maharashtra’ has set tongues wagging.
Mr. Pawar made the remarks at a public felicitation of Mr. Awhad at Kalwa in the latter’s Assembly constituency. This is the first time that the NCP chief has attended such ceremony for any of his party ministers since the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Interestingly, all NCP heavyweights including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Irrigation Minister Jayant Patil, Labour and Excise Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde have been publicly felicitated in their respective constituencies, but none was attended by the NCP chief.
The promotion of Mr. Awhad, who is also known as Mr. Pawar’s ‘blue-eyed boy’, and entrusting him with the important Housing portfolio is seen as an attempt to bring him to the centre stage of State politics.
An OBC leader with a city base, Mr. Awhad enjoys popularity among the Ambedkarite, Muslim and Maratha communities alike. He was also the first in the State to raise doubt over the Bhima-Koregaon riot investigation of previous BJP-led government and allege snooping on important leaders of the Opposition.
While lauding Mr. Awhad at Kalwa, Mr. Pawar said, “I always tell my workers look at the change in Mumbra-Kalwa to learn what leader who is active and ready to work for the people can do. I appeal to the people here to continue supporting him in this manner. I guarantee that he will be able to change the lives of people in the State.” The NCP chief remembered how the State’s first chief minister, late Yashvantrao Chavan, heard his speech once and called him. “That was the beginning of my career’s growth,” he said.
“I am humbled by the words of Mr. Pawar. My political career is because of him and I will follow him always,” Mr. Awhad said, when asked about the NCP chief’s comment.
