Won't campaign in Ahmednagar'

Mumbai: Senior Congress party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Wednesday declared that he would not campaign for his party’s alliance partner NCP’s candidate from the Ahmednagar parliamentary constituency, as he was hurt by the comments of NCP chief Sharad Pawar against his late father Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil.

Mr Vikhe-Patil also claimed that Mr Pawar’s comments were the trigger point behind his son’s decision to join the BJP.

Mr Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that his son Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil had joined the BJP owing to the objectionable statement about his late father made by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Speaking with reporters at the party office in south Mumbai, the Congress leader said, “The NCP had lost the election from the Ahmednagar seat three times which is why we wanted this seat for the Congress. I did not want this seat for my son. The Ahmednagar seat was included in those seats, which would be exchanged while signing the pact with the NCP.”

He also claimed that Dr Sujay did not discuss with him about joining the BJP. He was unhappy as Mr Pawar made a humiliating statement about his late grandfather. How can somebody tolerate such words?

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said that he was personally hurt by Mr Pawar’s statement. Such kind of statements from senior leaders like Mr Pawar were not suitable.

When asked whether he would campaign for the NCP candidate, Mr Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that Mr Pawar did not have faith in his family and hence it was better if he did not campaign for the NCP candidate from the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat. He said, "I had better not campaign for the NCP candidate from the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat.”