Sharad Pawar confident of replicating Lok Sabha success in Maharashtra assembly polls

Mumbai: Buoyed by the huge success in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, NCP founder Sharad Pawar has expressed confidence that his party will return to power in Maharashtra in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections.

“We should have only one goal (after the Lok Sabha polls). In the next three months, the state assembly elections will take place and it is our collective responsibility to work towards it, as after the polls the power of the state will be in your hands,” Sharad Pawar said while addressing workers of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) as the party celebrated its 25th foundation day in Pune.

Both the factions of the NCP – ruled by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar – held separate events at Pune and Mumbai respectively to mark the party's foundation day on Monday.

In Pune, Sharad Pawar celebrated the foundation day along with his daughter and MP from Baramati Supriya Sule and party president Jayant Patil. The celebrations were enthusiastic as the NCP (SP) had won eight out of 10 seats it contested from Maharashtra as part of the opposition alliance in the Lok Sabha polls.

Sharad Pawar said that the success in the Lok Sabha polls is also likely to be replicated in the Vidhan Sabha polls. “For the last 25 years, we have tried hard to promote the (party’s) ideology. Now we will strengthen the party even more. Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections will be held in three months. It will be everyone’s responsibility (to ensure) that the power of Maharashtra will be in your hands after the poll results,” he added.

The veteran leader also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the latter does not have the mandate (to lead the country) after the Lok Sabha polls results.“Though the power of the country came in the hands of Modi, in real sense the result was not in favour of him. But they (the BJP) do not have a majority in the Parliament as the number of their MPs has reduced. They got help from Bihar and TDP. For the last five years, they ran the government as per their wish and power was centralised. But now the situation has changed as the common people have become wise and smart,” Sharad Pawar said.

Taking a dig at the Ajit Pawar faction, Supriya Sule said that the party’s name and symbol is temporarily with the rival faction and it does not belong to them.

Sharad Pawar formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 1999 after breaking away from the Congress. Last July following a revolt by Ajit Pawar, the party was split into two factions. In February this year, the Election Commission announced the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and allotted the party symbol ‘clock’ to his group. The NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar was later allotted the symbol of “man blowing turha” (a traditional trumpet) to contest polls.

Attending the flag-hoisting ceremony at the party office in Mumbai, the Ajit Pawar faction leader Sunil Tatkare said that the party’s only aim from now on would be winning the upcoming Assembly elections.