Ajit Pawar seeks Siddhivinyak's blessings ahead of his party's mega outreach campaign

Mumbai: Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday launched its campaign for the Assembly polls with a visit to the famous Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai. The party has also appointed an election management firm, which has prepared a 90-days campaign plan. Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew Rohi Pawar alleged that the Ajit Pawar faction has paid Rs 200 crore and most of it is a cash payment. He also claimed that the Siddhivinayak temple visit was organised as per the election management company’s plan.

Ajit Pawar visited Siddhivinayak temple along with top leaders and MLAs of his party to seek blessings of Lord Ganesh. Ajit Pawar and another party leader Praful Patel sat for the ‘abhishek’ conducted at the temple.

“Today is an auspicious day, whenever you start any new work (preparations for Assembly elections), it is important to take Ganesha’s blessings,” Ajit Pawar said after performing pooja at the temple.

The Maharashtra deputy CM said that the temple visit was planned ahead of his party’s programmes to expand its network before the Assembly elections. “It is a good start to seek blessings of the deity to commence the campaign for the forthcoming state assembly elections, to strengthen the party and go to the people with the agenda of development,” he said.

Ajit Pawar and his entourage travelled in a bus to the Siddhivinayak Temple from the NCP office located near Mantralaya and Vidhan Bhavan complex.

According to reports, the Ajit Pawar-led party has appointed a political campaign management company, which has earlier worked for the Congress in several states including Rajasthan and Karnataka. The firm has prepared a 90-days programme to reach out to the people before the state Assembly election.

Sources informed that the Ajit Pawar-led party has been advised to focus on informing the people about the development work done and welfare schemes launched by the state government.

The NCP would hold a mega rally and stage a massive show of strength on Sunday in Baramati. The firm will also work on the image building of Ajit Pawar.

NCP (SP) legislator and Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew Rohit said that his estranged uncle has lost faith in his own abilities and therefore he is taking help of a big firm. “When you do not trust yourself and your party workers, when people do not believe what you say, then you have to take help from a big company. A Rs 200 crore contract has been given to the company, which will also train their party workers and run social media campaigns. Such a huge amount is being spent probably to set fake narratives ahead of the election. Some part of it has been paid through a bank cheque but most of it has been paid in cash,” Rohit Pawar said.

Taking a jibe at Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “After the defeat in Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar is worried now. That is why he sought Siddhivinayak’s blessings. But Siddhivinayak does not fulfill wishes of dishonest people.”