NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday warned his detractors that they should mess with anyone but him and urged voters to not just defeat those who rebelled under Ajit Pawar but "defeat them big".
Addressing a rally in Madha in Solapur district, Pawar recounted an episode of defection that led to his losing the post of leader of opposition in the assembly almost four decades ago and his resolve that led to the defeat of all of those who had backstabbed him. "In the polls of 1980, 58 people won polls from our party and I became leader of opposition. I had gone abroad and when I came back I realised Chief Minister AR Antulay saheb had done some miracle and 52 of the 58 MLAs had switched sides. I lost the post of LoP," he said. "I did nothing (at the time). I just started reaching out to people across the state and worked hard for three years. In the next elections, I fielded young candidates against all 52 MLAs who had left me. I am proud of the people of Maharashtra that all 52 who