Mumbai, Jul 4 (IANS): Taking political circles by surprise, ruling Mahayuti ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar posted a video statement praising himself on the Maharashtra budget (2024-2025), and then playing the victim card, inviting flak from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), here on Thursday.

Terming it as a “historic” budget, Ajit Pawar elaborated on the slew of schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the initiatives for farmers, the youth and other developmental schemes - which the MVA has already dismissed as “eyewash with an eye on the elections.”

“Despite giving such revolutionary schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for poor women from the age of 21-60 age, and other initiatives, the Opposition has been criticising me unfairly,” rued Ajit Pawar.

He said that the “scheme is intended to make women more independent and not feel compelled to ask for money from the men for small things, but the people who only want to play politics are criticising it, and, that’s the difference between them and me.”

“I continue to do my work… In the last so many years, check out how many schemes or initiatives I have launched, the list is long. Yet the Opposition is shouting that we have not given anything. Actually, they have nothing to do with the state’s development and are only engaging in politics,” added Ajit Pawar.

He claimed that in his entire public career he never changed any political party and the people remained his constituency, yet he was being hounded for working in the interest of the citizens and the state’s progress.

“I was falsely accused of corruption, but not a single charge has been proved against me, nor will it be so in future. Those who work more get censured more. My crime is that I think of the poor and farmers, trying to ease their burden and improve their lot, which the Opposition cannot tolerate,” contended Ajit Pawar.

NCP(SP) Working President, Supriya Sule slammed her cousin and said that “the corruption charges were levelled by the Mahayuti ally BJP. He was accused of corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders, nobody else… so he (Ajit Pawar) better question them… He has used the ‘Clock’ symbol in the video which may violate the court orders.”

State Congress Working President, M Arif Naseem Khan reiterated that it’s “a poll-budget, but with no money in government coffers, nothing will get implemented. People know it’s a hoax.”

“It's strange that the same Ajit Pawar who had threatened to stop development projects if the electorate in Pune didn’t vote for his wife (Sunetra Pawar), is now begging for votes from the same common people. It is an indicator of what’s in store,” Khan declared.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, “Ajit Pawar may not have changed parties, but what about ‘stealing’ his own uncle Sharad Pawar’s party. He must reply to this.”

The party’s farmer leader Kishore Tiwari said that Ajit Pawar’s claims were shocking as “he’s an elected public representative who is supposed to serve the masses.”

“You have done no favour to the people. It’s merely your duty till you are holding the post (of finance minister). You’re only deploying public funds back to the people, these are not coming from your pocket, so how can you talk like this,” asserted Tiwari.

Commenting on the issue, NCP(SP) state President Jayant Patil and MLC Shashikant Shinde suspected “a big tussle in the Mahayuti to claim credit” for various things before the elections.

Rushing to Ajit Pawar’s aid, his party leader Amol Mitkari said that the Dy CM is being trolled and targeted for the budget as the new scheme is for poor women and not affluent ones.

Similarly, ruling ally Shiv Sena’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad tried to shield Ajit Pawar saying that “the credit for the government’s work goes equally to the Mahayuti partners.”

Assuring to fulfil “Dada’s Vada” (Elder Brother’s Promise, as he is affectionately known as ‘Dada’ in political circles), Ajit Pawar said that the “people must see through the Opposition which has nothing to do with the state’s growth, and support those who work for progress in the October Assembly elections.”