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Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, March 11
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar today announced that he would not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said he was staying away as two members of his family were already contesting the elections. “Senior party members appealed to me to contest... from Madha... but it was decided that multiple members from one family should not contest,” the Maratha strongman said.
While Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule will be contesting from the family pocketborough of Baramati, his grandnephew Parth is being fielded from the Maval Lok Sabha seat. “Party leaders are demanding that Parth be given the candidature from Maval. The Peasants and Workers Party is also urging Parth to contest from this seat,” Pawar said. Parth, 28, is the son of Ajit Pawar, nephew of the veteran NCP leader.
On being asked whether he was afraid of losing from Madha, Pawar pointed out that he has never lost an election. “I am not withdrawing due to any fear. I have contested 14 elections and never lost,” he said.
The NCP supremo had decided not to contest elections in 2014 and entered the Rajya Sabha. Pawar left the Madha seat, which he had won in 2009, to Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil.
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