Parth rebukes Mitkari over remarks on PR firm DesignBox

Pune: Parth Pawar, son of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar, has criticised party MLC Amol Mitkari for his remarks on DesignBox, a public relations agency hired for his father’s election campaign.

Taking to social media platform X, Parth termed Mitkari’s statements as “anti-party”. Mitkari had earlier raised objections to DesignBox taking credit for the party’s electoral success and criticised a photograph showing the agency’s head, Naresh Arora, placing his hand on Ajit’s shoulder on election day—a picture shared by Ajit himself.

In his post, Parth stated: “It is highly unfortunate that Mr. @AmolMitkari22, despite being a party MLC, has chosen to take an anti-party stance regarding the role of @DesignBoxed and Sh. Naresh Arora. My party and my father, Sh. AjitPawarSpeaks, the National President of the party, categorically do not endorse or align with Mr. Mitkari’s views in any manner. He is strongly urged to refrain from making such comments or providing media bites on this matter.”

Ajit, on PR firm’s advice, made changes in the party’s strategy while going ahead for polls, with pink becoming central theme of electioneering.

In a Marathi daily, Mitkari wrote: “It is just a PR agency. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hired three agencies, and the Bharatiya Janata Party also hired one, but these agencies did not get credit for their victories. In our party, it seems DesignBox is trying to become the owner of the party.”

The MLC also raised issue with Arora’s gesture of placing hand on Ajit’s shoulder, calling it disrespectful to the party’s grassroots workers.

“Ajit Dada called me to discuss the issue, and I explained that I was voicing the concerns of workers. It is unacceptable for anyone to place a hand on the shoulder of our national leader. If someone supports such actions, they are disregarding party ethics,” Mitkari said.

The incident highlights growing tensions within the NCP over the role of external agencies in the party’s election strategies, sparking debate over their influence in political campaigns.