‘Everybody Knows the Founder of NCP’: Sharad Pawar Targets Ajit, Says Maha ‘People Will Teach a Lesson’ – News18

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has hit out at the Ajit Pawar faction, saying people “very much” have a clear idea about the NCP when he was asked about who will contest from Junnar city in the next assembly elections post the split in the party.

Junnar MLA Atul Benke is yet to take a stand whether he will support Sharad Pawar or go with the Ajit faction in the next assembly elections.

Sharad, who was interacting with the media at Junnar city in Pune on October 1, said, “I am roaming in Maharashtra and meeting people. Let me tell you that people have very much a clear idea about the NCP. What people think is important. I was in Killari town where approximately 20,000 people had gathered for the rally. In the entire state, I see similar scenes wherever I go”.

On the party candidate from the Junnar seat, senior Pawar said, “We — Shiv Sena UBT, Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar) — will be contesting the next elections under the leadership of Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray. So, as per the formula, which we have worked out, Junnar seat will remain with the NCP whom I am leading. People of Junnar usually never disappoint me.”

Alluding to his nephew, Sharad Pawar quipped “people who have joined hands with the BJP can’t be part of our NCP. People of Maharashtra and outside know who the founder of NCP is”.

“People elected them against one party and now they have gone to that side and joined hands with the same party. This is nothing but playing with people’s feelings. Whenever the people of Maharashtra will get an opportunity to teach these people a lesson, they will not shy away from this,” Sharad Pawar added.

After the split in the NCP in July, Sharad Pawar has had held several rallies in the constituencies of the leaders who had left him and joined Ajit Pawar. The first one was conducted at Yeola, which is the constituency of his former close aide Chhagan Bhujbal. Later, another rally was held in Beed district — a strong hold of Dhananjay Munde, who is close to Ajit Pawar, while the last one took place in Kolhapur – the citadel of Hasan Mushrif who is now with Ajit’s camp.

Pawar also told media in Junnar that he will be conducting a rally in Ambegaon, which is the constituency of his former close aide Dilip Walse-Patil.