Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is a “hard-hearted” man, a day after the rebel Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader urged voters not to fall prey to the emotional appeals of his uncle Sharad Pawar in the Lok Sabha polls.

”We never thought Ajit Pawar would turn out to be such a hard-hearted man… His statement against his uncle Sharad Pawar is unbecoming of a leader like him,” Shiv Sena spokesperson Raut told The Indian Express.

“It is my last election… Such an emotional appeal will be made… Don’t know when it will be the last election,” Ajit Pawar said on Sunday while addressing a rally in Baramati, his hometown and a Pawar family bastion, in a veiled reference to Sharad Pawar.

Raut said Ajit Pawar achieved name, fame and identity because of Sharad Pawar. ”Who is Ajit Pawar? What was he before coming into politics? I have seen him cycling on the roads of Baramati. He was non-entity then. He rose to fame all because Sharad Pawar, who backed him, supported him and groomed him,” said Raut.

Raut said Ajit Pawar had turned against the same person who was instrumental in his graph soaring to a new high. ”This only shows Ajit Pawar is a hard-hearted and selfish leader. He is a highly ungrateful person. He can go to any extent for his selfish ends. He switched sides because it suited his political convenience. He is not a loyal leader who deserved to be followed,” Raut said.

Ridiculing Ajit Pawar’s statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognises him, Raut said, ”Ajit Pawar said when he welcomes the prime minister in Maharashtra, Modi recognises him and smiles. We know Modi more than Ajit Pawar does. Making such a statement is only ridiculing oneself. Ajit Pawar does not know what he is talking about. He should do some introspection.”

Raut said even if Ajit Pawar fields his party’s candidate in Baramati, Supriya Sule, who has won the Baramati Lok Sabha seat for the last three times, would emerge victorious hands down.

”Supriya Sule has worked hard for her constituency. She has nurtured and nourished Baramati Lok Sabha seat. She has been constantly at the beck and call of her voters. We are fully confident that whoever is fielded by Ajit Pawar from Baramati seat will have no chance against Supriya Sule,” he said.