Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who recently staged a coup of sorts in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party to assume the post, says it is one's work among masses and not political lineage (he is Pawar's nephew) that counts.
"I won't deny that hailing from a political family benefits you once...the first time around. But subsequently, you have to show your work. If your work is okay, you have people's support or else it withers away," he said in an interview to a TV channel.
Asked if senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, whom he replaced as the deputy chief minister, is sulking, he said, "Had that been the case, he wouldn't have proposed my name for the post."
To a query on whether he felt Bhujbal should now work at the centre, he said, "Bhujbal will take a decision on the issue. He has worked at the grassroots. Tomorrow, if he feels that he should go to national politics, he will. The timing should be right." "One day, he will surely go to national level as national leader of NCP. Of course, one can't say when this will happen. He will have to take a call on this as he is an elder leader," he said.
"There is no reason why we juniors have to tell him. He will take a decision after consulting Pawar saheb (Sharad Pawar), Praful Patel and Tariq Anwar. As of now, he has decided to work in the state ministry," Ajit Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar said he has represented Baramati Assembly constituency five times. "The benefits of being from a political family may be applicable the first time around when voters may think on those lines. But when one fails to perform during the five-year term, people will feel this candidate does not have the ability to lead us or solve our problems." Asked if it has been decided that he will look after Maharashtra and Supriya Sule, Pawar's MP daughter, will work in Delhi, Ajit Pawar said, "I don't think so."
"In 1991, I was a Lok Sabha member for a few months and have seen the atmosphere in Delhi. I feel that my style of working is more suited to the state. I will be able to work with more satisfaction here (Maharashtra). When Supriya entered political life, she was Rajya Sabha member and then became a Lok Sabha member. Going by her style of working, she is able to raise issues forcefully in Parliament and take them up with (Central) ministers. She is also content there," he said.
On the public perception that he is Sharad Pawar's political heir, Ajit Pawar said, "I haven't thought on those lines. People are bound to compare me (with Pawar senior). But one has to decide how much weightage is to be given to such sentiments." Asked if he felt the deputy chief minister's post came to him a bit late, just because he was Sharad Pawar's nephew, Ajit Pawar said "I don't think so."
"Even in Congress, when Rajiv Gandhi became the prime minister, he was very young. Now, when Congress decides to make Rahul Gandhi prime minister, it can be done in a minute. Tomorrow, if he becomes PM, there are many senior leaders now who have worked with Indiraji and Soniaji. This happens in political life. In the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nitin Gadkari became party president. Considering his age, there were many who were very senior to him," Ajit Pawar said.
Earlier, when Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, R R Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal became the deputy CMs, it was because MLAs were with them, he said. "Now, I have become Dy CM as the legislators have unanimously supported me," he added.
Asked if he harboured ambitions to becoming the CM one day, Ajit Pawar said in political life, everyone wants to reach the top. "But you should have the numbers with you." On reports that there was a signature campaign by NCP MLAs to make him the deputy CM, Ajit Pawar said there was no such campaign. "The media has interpreted and discussed (the issue) in several ways," he added.
On reports of his holding Home Department meetings before the allocation of portfolios last week, he said, "The NCP has the Home portfolio. When the meetings were held, portfolio allocation had not taken place. When one has responsibility of the state, who has said that one can't hold meetings?"