Uphill task for Ajit Pawar

There is a touch of pink to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar these days. Whether in his jackets or on hoardings, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president can be seen exuding a softer hue. The shade is believed to be more appealing to women voters, whose interests his party says they have pandered to with the recent Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which provides a monthly dole of Rs 1,500 to around 25 million women. The Mahayuti government may have announced the scheme but since Ajit handles the finance portfolio, his party claims the credit must go to him. He is also seen smiling and interacting with women, a break from his otherwise gruff persona. As Maharashtra heads towards an assembly election, to be announced any day, he has also embarked on a statewide Jan Sanman Yatra to rally support and reach out to the masses.