Maharashtra politics erupted into chaos as NCP leader Ajit Pawar dropped a bombshell, acknowledging lapses in multi-crore irrigation projects during his long stint as minister. In a video that’s gone viral, Pawar detailed how projects intended to benefit drought-hit farmers spiraled out of control, with expenditures soaring inexplicably under his watch from 1999 to 2014.
‘We approved projects without adequate checks, and costs multiplied,’ Pawar explained, framing it as a learning curve in governance. This rare moment of candor from the seasoned politician, now Maharashtra’s Deputy CM, has split opinions down the middle. Supporters hail it as maturity, while critics brand it as a belated cover-up.
BJP leaders, sensing an opportunity to dent Pawar’s credibility, launched a blistering counterattack. ‘Twenty-five years of power, and not a whisper of wrongdoing? This is the definition of complicity,’ thundered a BJP spokesperson, referencing the alleged Rs 70,000 crore scam that implicated top NCP brass. The party has announced plans for statewide protests, vowing to make irrigation corruption a key election plank.
Delving deeper, the saga traces back to ambitious plans like the Vidarbha irrigation projects and the controversial Isapur Dam, where environmental clearances were allegedly bypassed. Farmers’ groups, who have staged morchas for years, welcomed Pawar’s words but demanded punitive action. ‘Admissions are good, but where’s the money trail?’ asked a farmers’ union leader from Nashik.
With monsoon sessions approaching, expect fireworks in the assembly. Pawar’s faction of NCP, already navigating alliance dynamics with BJP-Shiv Sena, faces its toughest test yet. Will this transparency bid redeem him, or expose deeper fault lines? Only time, and voters, will tell in this high-stakes political thriller.