INDIA Alliance Focused Only on National Polls, Not for Local Body Elections: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday clarified that the INDIA alliance is focused exclusively on national-level elections.

"There has never been any discussion within the INDIA alliance regarding state or local elections. The alliance is solely for national-level polls," Pawar said, addressing the media.

However, he emphasized the need for discussions on state issues. "Considering recent developments, I will ensure a meeting takes place in the next 8 to 10 days. I will speak with the Congress high command and Shiv Sena leaders to organize this discussion," he added.

When asked about the AAP vs Congress contest in Delhi, Pawar remarked, "The INDIA bloc was meant only for national elections. Delhi is (Arvind) Kejriwal's base. The people of Delhi have given his party a majority twice, and it would have been good if we could have approached this situation with mutual confidence."

Responding to recent statements by the Union Home Minister, Pawar said, "Speeches are a leader’s right, but they should be backed by adequate knowledge to avoid creating doubt in people’s minds."

Speaking about his tenure, Pawar stated, "They may talk about me from 1978, but my political journey began in 1958. I became Chief Minister in 1978. At that time, I had Jan Sangh leaders like Uttamrao Patil, Hashu Advani, and Pramila Tai in my cabinet. Even leaders with a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background, like Vasantrao Bhagwat and Pramod Mahajan, supported us. The BJP of that era gave capable leadership like Vajpayee and Advani, who practiced inclusive politics without taking extreme positions."


Many Home Ministers Served India, But None Were Exiled: Sharad Pawar said,

However, Pawar criticized the Union Home Minister's recent remarks targeting him and Uddhav Thackeray. "There's a Marathi saying: ‘Where is Indra’s elephant and where is a common mule?’ That sums up the disparity in levels of leadership," Pawar commented.

Referring to Thackeray, Pawar said, "People know what Uddhav Thackeray stands for. It’s unfortunate how low the political discourse has fallen. Those making such statements should reflect on their roots. When these individuals couldn’t live in Gujarat, they sought refuge in Mumbai and even visited Balasaheb Thackeray’s residence seeking help. Uddhavji will have more to say on this matter."

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reiterated the party’s decision to contest local elections independently. "Uddhavji Thackeray has made it clear. From Mumbai to Nagpur, we will contest local self-government elections on our own strength. Whatever the outcome, we are prepared for it," Raut said on Wednesday.
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