Sharad Pawar not to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections

While addressing the meeting of the party leaders and office-bearers on Saturday morning, Pawar ruled himself out of the race

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, on the first day of the party’s two-day long meeting in Mumbai, which started on Saturday, clarified that he was not interested in contesting in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar waves during the party's 'Vijay Sankalp rally' in Beed, Maharashtra, Monday, Oct 1, 2018. (PTI)

He also hinted against the potential candidature of Parth Pawar, son of party leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Parth Pawar, representative of Sharad Pawar’s third generation, was reportedly interested in contesting from the Maval Lok Sabha constituency.

The party held the two-day meet at its Mumbai office at Ballard Pier to review the current scenario and its probable candidates in the 25 constituencies it wishes to contest.

While addressing the meeting of the party leaders and office-bearers on Saturday morning, Pawar ruled himself out of the race.

“I am not contesting any elections. Please do not consider and discuss my name,” said Sharad Pawar.

With regards to Parth Pawar’s name cropping up for the Lok Sabha polls from the Maval constituency, Sharad Pawar shot it down saying if the family members contest all polls, what will be the future of party workers. “If all Pawar family members will contest the polls, what will happen to those party workers who build our party,” said Sharad Pawar.

This stance is unlikely to go down well with Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar and his supporters who have been promoting Parth Pawar as the probable candidate from Maval. Party workers believe there is a hidden tussle between Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule for the control of the party.

The meeting saw top NCP leaders trying to gauge the mood of their local leaders as well as asking them to prepare for the polls where Sharad Pawar is expected to play a crucial role.

The NCP had called leaders from various parts of the state as part of an exercise to choose the Lok Sabha candidates. Former NCP minister Sunil Tatkare proposed Bhaskar Jadhav’s name for the Lok Sabha seat from the Raigad constituency.