As the Nationalist Congress Party formally breaks before Lok Sabha elections, its founder, Sharad Pawar, on Saturday got emotional and said it has never happened before that those who formed a political party were removed from their own outfit.
“Not only this, the party symbol was also taken away. This decision was not in accordance with the law. The steps taken by the Election Commission and the President regarding party and symbol are not fair to us. We have approached the Supreme Court in this matter. We will need to increase our public outreach,” senior Pawar said in Baramati, the area which is now in headlines over nephew Ajit’s plans to field his wife against Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Pictures of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar were seen along with the NCP symbol in Baramati. pic.twitter.com/qcZSB1Qitl— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024
Responding to speculations of an NCP vs NCP battle during the Lok Sabha polls in Baramati, he said, “He is making people emotional by saying that family is on one side and he is alone on the other. Things that have never happened in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency are now happening.”
Baramati | On losing NCP party name and symbol, Sharad Pawar says “It has never happened before that those who formed a political party were removed from the party. Not only this, the party symbol was also taken away. This decision was not in accordance with the law. We have… pic.twitter.com/849fUoYbxP— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2024
Sharad Pawar further said, “Out of the 14 elections I have contested so far, five of them had different symbols. First there was the pair of oxen, then came the cow-calf, then came the Charkha symbol, then came the hand symbol. Then came the watch. We have seen different signs. Therefore, if someone thinks that removing the symbol means that the organization will cease to exist, this is not the case.”
Saturday marks the second day when Sharad Pawar spoke on the rift. Giving his first reaction on the issue, the leader said in Satara, “Out of the 14 elections I have contested so far, five of them had different symbols. First, there was a pair of oxen, then came the cow-calf, then came the ‘Charkha’ symbol, then came the hand symbol. And then came the watch. We have seen different signs. Therefore, if someone thinks that removing the symbol means that the organisation will cease to exist, this is not the case.”
“In a democracy, everyone has the right to stand in elections. If someone is exercising that right then there is no reason to complain about it. We should put our position before the people. People know what we have done in the last 55-60 years,” he said.
Referring to the Bombay High Court’s decision of dismissing the “entirely without merit” petitions seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Dhangar (shepherd) community in Maharashtra, he said, “BJP should have taken steps to give reservation to the community.”
Responding to Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party’s move to field senior leader Praful Patel for the coming election to the Rajya Sabha even though he is already a member of the Upper House of Parliament, Sharad Pawar said, “It is surprising that he was nominated when he has four years of his Rajya Sabha term left.”
On Ashok Chavan’s decision to join the BJP, he said, “Some mechanisms have become important. Central probe agencies are effective and the government uses it against the Opposition. So everyone decides carefully.”
Comments
0 comment