NCP split: Was unaware of Ajit Pawar’s move, claims Kolhe

Leaders said that Ajit Pawar is planning to give the Shirur LS seat ticket to his son Parth Pawar instead of Maval as the latter constituency is tougher

While Amol Kolhe claimed that he did not know about Ajit Pawar’s motive behind joining the Maharashtra government, many leaders claim that the Shirur Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Member of Parliament (MP) took the step to back Sharad Pawar to secure his political future.

Pune, India - April 9, 2019: Rally of Dr. Amol Kolhe in front of collector office before he goes to fill his application for election in Shirur constituency in Pune, India, on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Photo by Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

Some NCP members on condition of anonymity said, “As Kolhe’s opponent Shivajirao Adhalrao contacted Sharad Pawar after his rival Dilip Walse Patil and Kolhe joined the Ajit Pawar’s group, the Shirur MP decided to return to the camp of senior Pawar.

Adhalrao is a two-time MP from Shirur constituency who recently joined the Eknath Shinde camp. If Kolhe also would have joined the group, only one of them would get the Lok Sabha ticket.”

Meanwhile, some senior leaders said that NCP leader Ajit Pawar is planning to give the Shirur LS seat ticket to his son Parth Pawar instead of Maval as the latter constituency is tougher.

Kolhe said, “I was unaware about Ajit Pawar and other leaders’ move. I thought that it was the party’s official stand to join the state government.”

Many leaders from Ambegaon and Shirur taluka have expressed their unhappiness over giving the minister’s post to Dilip Walse Patil even as Sharad Pawar plans to launching his campaign from Ambegaon constituency represented by the former.