Sharad Pawar, the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), began his nationwide campaign on Saturday in a bid to gain support amid his nephew Ajit Pawar’s power struggle. Ajit Pawar appointed himself NCP president, joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP administration in Maharashtra, and allowed a mutiny that caused a vertical split in the party a week before to the visit.
Beginning his journey at Yeola in the Nashik district, the seat of dissident NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, the older Pawar expressed regret to the locals for electing him as an MLA.
The founder of the NCP said he has no issues if rebel leaders “rethink” their choice and decide to come back to him.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena MLAs from both groups received notifications on Saturday from Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar requesting their response about disqualification.
NEWEST INFORMATION ON THE POLITICAL STRESS IN MAHARASHTRA
Sharad Pawar stated in his remarks at a gathering on Saturday in Yeola, “This rally is not about making any allegations against anyone. I am here to apologise to all of you.”
“I regret choosing the wrong course of action (in fielding Bhujbal from this constituency); you put your faith in me and supported my party, but my choice proved to be incorrect.” Therefore, I must apologize to you the next time I visit; I swear I won’t make the same error again, the NCP founder said.
The older Pawar responded to his nephew Ajit Pawar’s request that he step down from active politics by saying he was against making personal attacks on anybody.
Later, in an interview with the Marathi internet news station Mumbai Tak, Sharad Pawar said, “Na tired hu, na retired hu.”
“Who are they to advise me to stop working? I’m still able to work,” he said.
Additionally, Sharad Pawar said that he has no issues if dissident leaders “rethink” their choice and rejoin the party. He told a news conference in Nashik, “If someone wants to make a rethink, there is no difficulty.
In response to rumors of instability within the Eknath Shinde-led Sena, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that Ajit Pawar’s appointment as deputy chief minister had transformed the administration into a “Trishul” (trident) of progress.
Rahul Narwekar, the speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said on Saturday that notices seeking responses on disqualification petitions filed against 40 MLAs of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 14 of the Uddhav group had been issued.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction sent an urgent letter to the Supreme Court on Saturday asking for a quick hearing on a lawsuit that challenges the ECI judgment awarding Eknath Shinde the party emblem.
