Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 08:49 AM IST
Ajit Pawar denies family rift after reappearing
Ajit, whose resignation ahead of Maharashtra elections shocked political circles, also denied any rift within the Pawar family.
Mumbai: After remaining incommunicado for nearly 24 hours, NCP leader Ajit Pawar finally met party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday.
However, he did not explain his silence for the last 24 hours or the reason behind not informing anyone in the party or family about his decision to resign.
Ajit, whose resignation ahead of Maharashtra elections shocked political circles, also denied any rift within the Pawar family.
Addressing a press conference, Ajit claimed he resigned as a MLA since he was pained by the case filed by ED against his uncle.
Ajit, who was accompanied by NCP state president Jayant Patil and other senior leaders, said, “Had I informed anyone in advance, they would have told me not take this decision. I will not go into the details whether it was wrong or not. Those who have been pained with the decision, I express my regret.”
Explaining what transpired on Friday, the NCP leader said he reached the state legislature at around 5.30 pm to submit his resignation. “I have been thinking over this since a couple of days,” he added.
The former deputy chief minister also indicated that he would not quit politics. He said that he will do whatever Pawar Saheb asks him to do, adding that party’s state president would decide from where he will contest the election. Mr Patil, on his part, said, “There is no alternative to Ajit from Baramati”.
The NCP president claimed on Friday that Ajit had told his son Parth to quit politics and instead choose farming. When asked about his advise to Parth, Ajit said, “I have been in politics for 30 years, solving people’s problems day in and out. Yet, this is the situation I find myself in. Hence, out of indignation I told him so.”
Ajit defended himself against the charges of corruption in the MSCB scam. The former deputy chief minister said that leaders belonging to all political parties, including Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party, were members of the board of the cooperative bank, and that all decisions relating to sanctioning of loans and other matters were taken collectively.
