Ajit not upset, proposed Sule as working prez: Pawar

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday dismissed suggestions that the appointment of his daughter Supriya Sule as the working president of the party has upset his nephew Ajit Pawar, asserting he himself had mooted the proposal.

“The suggestion was made by Ajit Pawar. So, where is the question of him being happy or unhappy,” Pawar told reporters here to questions on the Maharashtra Leader of Opposition being upset about Sule’s elevation.

The veteran leader announced earlier in the day three-term Lok Sabha member Sule and Praful Patel will be the working presidents of the NCP.

Ajit Pawar was seen as an heir-apparent in the NCP, but his dalliances with the BJP had not been received well by the party.

“There is no vacancy now. We can talk about it when there is a vacancy,” Pawar quipped when asked if Patel or Sule could become NCP chief in the future.

Pawar also said elevating Patel and Sule was a “conscious” decision taken by the entire party.

Ajit Pawar said, “Some media channels ran stories that Ajit Pawar did not get any responsibility, I would like to tell them that I have the responsibility of leader of opposition in Maharashtra.”

The former state deputy CM said, “For the past several years, Supriya is in Delhi. I am active in state politics. I have responsibility of the state since I am the leader of opposition.”

BJP Information Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya said, “If only Sharad loved his nephew as much as Mamata Banerjee loves hers…”