Ajit Pawar is captain of our group, he will contest Assembly polls: Chhagan Bhujbal

Nashik, Sep 9 (IANS) A Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the Baramatikars (residents of Baramati) should once get someone else besides him as an MLA so that they can then make a comparison between him and the new legislator, state Cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said that the NCP national president is their captain, and he will contest the upcoming Assembly elections.  

"Ajit Pawar is the captain of our group. He will contest the elections. He cannot leave like this in the middle of poll preparation," Bhujbal said, after launching a slew of development schemes in his Yevala constituency of Nashik district.

Bhujbal hinted that Ajit Pawar will lead the NCP from the front and contest the Assembly elections. 

"However, the pain that he has expressed is about what happened in the Lok Sabha elections," he said.

This is not the first time Ajit Pawar said that he may opt out of the electoral fray from Baramati. 

On August 15, Pawar at the meeting with the party workers had said: "I have contested elections seven to eight times so far. I don't have much interest in contesting elections again. If our party workers are demanding that Jay (his son) be fielded, then we will think about it. Our parliamentary board will take the decision in this regard.” 

However, state party chief Sunil Tatkare had clarified that the NCP will contest under the leadership of Ajit Pawar as he will be "very much in the election fray". 

On Sunday, Pawar told the party workers that he may not contest elections if Baramati voters choose differently in the upcoming assembly polls, despite his extensive development efforts. 

"I have done everything possible for Baramati's development. Despite this, if voters decide to elect a different MP in the Lok Sabha elections, I too am human and have feelings. So, you should also elect a different MLA in the upcoming Assembly elections," he said on Sunday in his emotional outburst. 

Meanwhile, Bhujbal said: "If the parties in the grand alliance (MahaYuti) want to achieve good results, I think the leaders should not make any statement against each other. This is because the contradictory statements give ammunition to the opposition. In the end, everyone's goal is the same, that once again to bring the government of the Grand Alliance back to power. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar have given instructions to all. Now the election is approaching. Therefore, they have told to refrain from making any statements that will go hurt MahaYuti's prospects."

--IANS

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