Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in a rally at Tasgaon, shared details about feeling “betrayed” by his former colleague, the late RR Patil, who allegedly initiated an inquiry against him in the irrigation scam. Pawar recounted how, in 2014, BJP’s then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revealed a file to him containing Patil’s directive for an open investigation into the alleged multi-crore irrigation scam, which Pawar argued was exaggerated, citing actual project costs of around ₹43,000 crore instead of the claimed ₹70,000 crore.
Pawar described Patil’s authorization of the inquiry as an unexpected move, labeling it as backstabbing by a close ally. This fallout contributed to the NCP’s withdrawal from the Congress-led government at the time, leading to President’s rule in Maharashtra before the BJP came to power. Pawar’s remarks shed light on the 2014 political split between NCP and Congress just ahead of the assembly elections.
The rally also saw Pawar critiquing former NCP colleague Jayant Patil for allegedly blocking the political advancement of other leaders in Sangli and Satara to consolidate his control in the region. Pawar further reminisced about his friendship with RR Patil, recalling that Patil later regretted ignoring Pawar’s advice to quit tobacco, which became a factor in Patil’s cancer battle.
The Tasgaon seat has become a focal point, with RR Patil’s son, Rohit Patil, running against NCP’s Sanjay Kaka Patil.
