Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday defended his daughter, Supriya Sule, against allegations of involvement in a “Bitcoin scam.” The accusations were made by former IPS officer Ravindra Patil, whom Pawar described as a person with a questionable past.
Speaking after casting his vote in Baramati, Pawar said, *”The person who made these allegations was in jail for several months. Only the BJP can stoop to taking such a person’s help to make false claims.”*
Supriya Sule firmly rejected the allegations, stating they were completely baseless. She announced legal action, filing both defamation and criminal cases.
“I am ready to answer Sudhanshu Trivedi’s five questions at a time, place, and platform of his choosing. All the allegations are lies,” she told.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sule’s brother, acknowledged the audio clips cited as evidence by Patil. He claimed the voices matched those of the people involved but called for an investigation to establish the truth.
*”I have worked closely with both individuals. The voices in the audio clips sound familiar. An inquiry will reveal the truth,”* Ajit Pawar stated.
Baramati has emerged as a high-stakes battleground in this election. Ajit Pawar is contesting against Yugendra Pawar, representing the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.
Baramati also drew attention during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, contested against Supriya Sule. Sule retained the seat with a margin of 1.5 lakh votes.
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is locked in a fierce battle with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
The outcome of these elections, to be declared on November 23, will decide the future political landscape of Maharashtra.
