Pawar will have to fend for himself, indicates Cong

As Sharad Pawar appeared to be in further trouble over the IPL bid issue, Congress today maintained that the Agriculture Minister will have to fend for himself.

As Sharad Pawar appeared to be in further trouble over the IPL bid issue, Congress on Sunday maintained that the Agriculture Minister will have to fend for himself.

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"The Congress party's stand is the same. These are the nitty-gritty details about which you will have to ask the NCP. A general inquiry into the matter is already on," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Sunday.

He said this when asked about reports that the company, in which Pawar and his family members have direct share-holding, bid for an IPL team on its own behalf.

Reacting to the reports, Pawar has maintained that the bid was made by a top official of the company in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the firm.

He said what was relevant was the subsequent resolution of the board in March which he said was "binding".

Congress has all along maintained that Pawar should be asked the questions on IPL bid controversy and indicated that it was for the NCP leader to fend for himself.

Pawar, who is also former BCCI chief, and his MP daughter Supriya Sule have been embroiled in the controversy over the bid for the Pune IPL team, which was won by Sahara group, after it came to light that the Pawar family had a 16 per cent equity in City Corporation, one of the bidders.

But Pawar claimed that its MD Aniruddha Deshpande bid for the Pune team on his own and the company's board was against the move even though it allowed him to use the company's name on bid documents.