"Did I go anywhere? No": Sharad Pawar hits back at Praful Patel

PUNE: After NCP leader Praful Patel's remark that Sharad Pawar was earlier ready to go with the BJP but hesitated at the last moment, the NCP-SCP chief said that though he had been saying this for a long time, he had not gone with anyone.

Praful Patel had claimed that the former Maharashtra Chief Minister was "50 per cent ready" to go with the BJP, but hesitated at the last minute.

In response, Pawar said at a press conference on Thursday, "Who went there and who stayed? From the day he is referring till today, what is the situation? Did I go anywhere? No."

Praful Patel also claimed that if Sharad Pawar had not hesitated he could have become the Prime Minister in 1996.

On Wednesday, Praful Patel told ANI, "On 2nd July 2023, when Ajit Pawar and our ministers took oath with Maharashtra govt. On July 15-16, we met Sharad Pawar and requested him to join us. Later, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar met in Pune. He was also 50 per cent ready...Sharad Pawar always hesitates at the last minute."

"In 1996, if Pawar Saheb had agreed to the suggestions of HD Devegowda, then he could have been the PM. Sharad Pawar could have been PM in 1996 itself if he was not hesitant," he added.

Speaking further, Sharad Pawar took a jibe at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who recently gave 'unconditional' support to BJP-led 'Mahayuti' alliance in Maharashtra.

"In the last 10-15 years he has changed his stand multiple times...he had also criticised BJP in strong words...I think more pictures will be clear in the next 2-3 days ...the way he has changed his stands in the last 10-15 years, common people are failing to understand him," the former CM said.

In a major upheaval in Maharashtra politics last year, Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP broke out from the party and entered into a coalition with Bharatiya Janata Party and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena).

Following much contention, the Election Commission of India allotted the NCP symbol of 'clock' to Ajit Pawar's faction, which was recognised as the 'real NCP'. Sharad Pawar's faction was given the name of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and was allotted the symbol of a 'Man blowing turha' (trumpet).

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second-largest after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 seats it contested in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena.

Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. the counting of votes will be done on June 4.