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Ajit Pawar: Bhujbal not upset, top NCP body chose Sunetra for Rajya Sabha ticket
The Maharashtra Deputy CM clarified that Bhujbal himself had assured him that there was no issue with Sunetra Pawar contesting in the Rajya Sabha bypolls
NCP President Ajit Pawar on Friday denied reports of senior NCP member Chhagan Bhujbal being upset about Sunetra Pawar being fielded as the party candidate for Rajya Sabha by-polls.
Pawar said that the decision had been taken by the NCP's apex body and Bhujbal himself had assured him that he had no problems.
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Sunetra Pawar, his wife, recently lost the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati against NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule. On Thursday she filed her nomination papers as an NCP candidate for Maharashtra's upcoming Rajya Sabha by-polls, to fill in the vacancy left by NCP leader Praful Patel.
The media reported that Cabinet Minister Bhujbal was sulking after Sunetra Pawar's nomination. However, Ajit Pawar said these reports were not truthful and were planted by the opposition and ‘close friends’.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra said, according to PTI, “The decision about nomination was taken by the parliamentary board (NCP's key decision making body) and after that papers were filed (by Sunetra Pawar). Due to the tragic death of Amol Kale (Mumbai Cricket Association president), deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis could not attend the nomination filing. I also told Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a day before that they would be going to file nomination papers.”
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In response to reports of BJP and Shiv Sena leaders eing absent for the nomination filing, he told PTI,"If I did not invite them, why would they be there?"
He also added that key NCP leaders like Bhujbal and Patel were present during the filing at the Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai.
Bhujbal had earlier stated that he wished to be an MP and had been eager for a Lok Sabha seat and was also keen on the Rajya Sabha nomination. In response to questions of injustice against him over Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha tickets, he said the question should be asked to ‘them’.
He said, according to PTI, “It is my desire (to become an MP). That is why I was ready to contest from the Nashik Lok Sabha seat. As I had been told that my ticket was finalised in Delhi, I had started working but when the decision (to announce the name) dragged on for a month, I stopped as there was enough humiliation."
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“There could be reasons (for not giving him tickets). Sometimes, it’s destiny or some sort of compulsion,” he added.
On Thursday, Bhujbal clarified that though he wanted a ticket, he was not upset over Sunetra Pawar's nomination and called it a"collective decision" of the party.
(with inputs from PTI)
