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NCP MLA Narhari Zirwal’s son keen to contest polls against father in Dindori

When asked if he was ready to contest against his own father, Narhari Zirwal, he responded saying he would certainly consider it if the party allowed him

Updated on: Jul 24, 2024, 08:46:06 IST
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Mumbai: Gokul Zirwal, son of NCP MLA and deputy speaker of the legislative assembly Narhari Zirwal, on Tuesday attended the NCP (SP) convention in Nashik and said he would like to contest the assembly election from Dindori as the party’s candidate. Speaking to reporters after attending the convention, he said he had always supported the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and would not mind contesting against his father if NCP (SP) gave him an opportunity.

Gokul Zirwal
Gokul Zirwal

“I am mentally prepared to contest (from the Dindori assembly seat). Party workers have the same desire, but it all depends upon the party,” Gokul Zirwal said in response to a question on him contesting the assembly poll from Dindori.

“Whoever is the candidate (in the assembly polls), will work for him,” he stated.

When asked if he was ready to contest against his own father, Narhari Zirwal, he responded saying he would certainly consider it if the party allowed him. “Family and politics are different arrangements. Politically, I have always been with the MVA coalition,” he said.

Zirwal said that during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, he supported the NCP (SP) candidate from Nashik, Bhaskar Bhagare, who defeated union minister of state Dr Bharati Pawar by a sizeable margin.

Gokul’s father Narhari Zirwal had, after the split in the NCP last year, sided with the faction headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. But he was also seen hobnobbing with MVA leaders, including in one of the campaign meetings of Bhagare. While it was speculated that he had covertly helped Bhagare in the Lok Sabha poll, he had claimed that he was invited by the villagers to attend prayers at the Hanuman temple.

The senior Zirwal had also extended an olive branch to the MVA during the legislative council polls earlier this month by extending support to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sandeep Gulve for the Nashik teachers’ constituency, although he stressed that he would not leave Ajit Pawar.

  • Faisal Malik
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Faisal Malik

    Faisal Malik is a senior journalist with over two and a half decades of experience covering Maharashtra’s politics, governance and public policy with a deep understanding of the state’s political landscape. He is a Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times and has been associated with its Mumbai edition for more than a decade. Based in Mumbai, Faisal currently covers three major political parties in Maharashtra — Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and NCP (Sharad Pawar). Over the years, he has extensively reported on major political developments, combining investigative insights with in-depth field reporting. His coverage has spanned a wide range of issues, from drought, farmer suicides, major development projects and grassroots challenges to major electoral battles, including three Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections — 2014, 2019 and 2024. Before joining Hindustan Times, he worked with ‘The Asian Age’ and ‘Dainik Bhaskar’. An avid tea enthusiast, he enjoys reading history, Urdu literature and classical poetry. When away from the newsroom, he writes Urdu poetry inspired by human emotions, life's experiences, meaningful reflections and relationships. An amateur photographer, Faisal is passionate about capturing moments that often go unnoticed by the naked eye.Read More