NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai: Did not discuss Prez election or third front with Prashant Kishor

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday denied reports of him becoming a candidate of opposition parties for the 2022 presidential elections

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday denied reports of him becoming a candidate of opposition parties for the 2022 presidential elections. Pawar said everyone was aware of its result, considering the strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and neither the presidential elections nor forming a third front for the 2024 general elections was discussed in his meetings with poll strategist Prashant Kishor.

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In the past two months, Kishor met Pawar twice, fuelling the two speculations. These rumours came up again on Tuesday, as Kishor called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Significantly, Pawar has been insisting on a united forum of opposition parties to take on the BJP, which is in power for the second consecutive term. “The news reports about me contesting the presidential elections are completely false,” Pawar said to a select group of journalists at his Mumbai residence, Silver Oak. “Considering the strength of the BJP, everyone knows what the result would be,” he remarked. “I met Prashant Kishor twice, but there was no discussion on presidential polls or forming a third front for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he added.

He further refuted a news report which claimed that Pawar was upset with state Congress president Nana Patole over his statement on contesting the upcoming elections on their own and sought to clarify the same from senior Congress leaders, who went to meet him on Tuesday at his Mumbai residence. All India Congress Committee general secretary and Maharashtra in-charge HK Patil and state ministers Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat met Pawar on Tuesday. Patole has also alleged that he was put under surveillance by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and that his movements and chats were being closely watched.

“I am not upset with Patole as every party has the right to expand its organisational base. We spoke about pending appointments in the state-run corporations and boards. A consensus has been reached on 95% appointments. The issue related to three-four corporations and boards is yet to be resolved. Congress leaders were insisting on going ahead with the appointments on the bodies where consensus has been made,” the former union agriculture minister said.