Ajit Pawar lavishes self-praise, plays victim; MVA says sops ‘no favour’ to Maha

Mumbai, July 4 (IANS) Taking political circles by surprise, ruling Mahayuti ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar posted a video statement praising himself on the Maharashtra budget (2024-2025), and then playing the victim card, inviting flak from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), here on Thursday.Terming it as a “historic” budget, Ajit Pawar elaborated on the slew of schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the initiatives for farmers, the youth and other developmental schemes – which the MVA has already dismissed as “eyewash with an eye on the elections.”“Despite giving such revolutionary schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for poor women from the age of 21-60 age, and other initiatives, the Opposition has been criticising me unfairly,” rued Ajit Pawar.He said that the “scheme is intended to make women more independent and not feel compelled to ask for money from the men for small things, but the people who only want to play