Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar playfully suggested to his nephew, Rohit Pawar, that had he campaigned in the Karjat Jamkhed constituency, where Rohit won by a narrow margin of 1,243 votes, it might have been difficult for him to retain the seat. Rohit, the grandnephew of NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar, won against BJP's Ram Shinde in the just-concluded assembly polls.

Ajit Pawar made the comment during a visit to the memorial of Y B Chavan, Maharashtra's first Chief Minister, alongside Rohit Pawar. Despite their political differences, Rohit Pawar referred to Ajit as a "father figure" who helped him significantly in the 2019 elections. Rohit acknowledged that had Ajit held a rally in Karjat Jamkhed, the outcome might have been different, but Ajit was occupied with other political commitments in Baramati.

In the recent assembly elections, the NCP led by Ajit Pawar won 41 seats, while the NCP (SP) under Sharad Pawar's leadership secured only 10 seats. Ajit Pawar, who retained his Baramati seat with a large victory margin, had earlier split from the NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government, creating a rift within the Pawar family.