A year after seeking votes in pouring rain, Pawar consoles flood victims

By QUAID NAJMI Mumbai, Oct 18 : Exactly a year ago on this day, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar had grabbed the nation’s attention by campaigning at a poll rally in Satara under a downpour, which ultimately led to an unexpected mega-setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
A year later on Sunday (October 18, 2020), the never-say-die Pawar again went to the electorate of the region, this time battered by last week’s heavy rain and floods, which has so far claimed around 30 lives.
However, on October 18, 2019, Pawar’s booming voice seemed to quiver in the bone-chilling cold rain then, but simultaneously boosted the morale of poll ally Congress and rattled the wary BJP-Shiv Sena desperate for a comeback.
The NCP had nominated Shriniwas Patil for the Satara Lok Sabha by-election and Deepak Sahebrao Pawar Satara assembly seat, both falling in the erstwhile royal kingdom of Satara ruled by the Chhatrapatis.
Aiming for a ‘royal’ advantage, the BJP had nominated scions of the Chhatrapati clan — the 13th direct descendent and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale, who had jolted Pawar by quitting NCP just weeks before the October 2019 state polls, for the Lok Sabha by-election — and his (Udayanraje Bhosale’s) cousin Shivendraraje Bhosale for the assembly seat.
Undeterred by the daunting challenges, Pawar emotionally declared in the downpour: “This is Varun Raja’s (Rain God Varun) blessings for the NCP… It will lead to a amiracle’ in the state, and that marvel will start from October 21… I am confident!” as the crowds reciprocated with a thunderous applause overshadowing the raging thunderstorm above.