Will give 50% of tickets to youths from non-political backgrounds, says Sharad Pawar

This would be the first time such a large number of young faces get such an opportunity from the party, which fared poorly in the state assembly elections last year.

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) will allocate 50% of its tickets for the upcoming local body elections across Maharashtra to young candidates from non-political backgrounds, party president Sharad Pawar said at a review meeting on Monday.

Mumbai. May 16 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) Chief Sharad Pawar addresses the gathering at the naming ceremony of the stand after his name, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. (ANI Photo) (Sharad Pawar X)

This would be the first time such a large number of young faces get such an opportunity from the party, which fared poorly in the state assembly elections last year.

Pawar also instructed his party’s leaders to decide by next week if they want to form an alliance at the local level for the elections. This will allow the party leadership to reach a conclusion, as several leaders have indicated that local-level workers want the party to contest the polls independently.

With the long-pending local body elections expected to begin next month, the NCP (SP) has started preparations, holding a meeting of all senior leaders at its headquarters on Monday.

“I have decided to give an opportunity to youths from non-political backgrounds, who will get 50% of the tickets for the upcoming polls. This will help us build a new leadership for the party,” said Pawar, while addressing the meeting.

Pawar also indirectly condemned the inflammatory communal remarks made recently by his former party colleague, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) MLA Sangram Jagtap. Without naming him, the 84-year-old described the statements as “absolutely inappropriate” and urged his party’s leaders to make all efforts to maintain communal harmony in the state.

“The statements being made by an MLA who was previously with us are absolutely inappropriate. We must try to maintain communal harmony. Do not make racist comments. Use the language of love while speaking,” Pawar said during the meeting.

Jagtap, the NCP MLA from Ahilyanagar, has sparked controversy with several communal remarks. On Friday, during a rally in Solapur, he said, “While going for Diwali shopping, I would request you all to ensure that our money, transactions and their benefits should reach out to the Hindus only.”

His remarks drew widespread criticism, including from NCP chief Ajit Pawar, who called the statement “extremely wrong”.