'No hurdles, we'll decide later': Sharad Pawar rules out announcing MVA's CM face for Maharashtra polls

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Sep 4, 2024, 2:27 PM IST

Sharad Pawar, leader of the NCP(SP), has chosen to withhold announcing a chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. He believes a decision can be reached after the elections, based on the winning party's seat count.

NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday (September 4) ruled out naming the chief ministerial face going into the Maharashtra assembly elections. He stated that the announcement of a candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi is not urgently necessary and that they can always get together and make this decision later.

“Who was face during the Emergency? After the election, Morarji Desai’s name came forward. There is no need to announce the name for the chief minister’s position right now. After the election, we will sit together and decide on the candidate,” he said.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

"There is no hurdle anywhere by not announcing the CM's face. No need to think about it now. Who should lead should be decided according to the numbers. There is no need to make any arrangements before elections," Pawar said.

Pawar had already said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi's first round of discussions on seat distribution was already over. About the chief minister, he further said the candidate will be decided on the basis of the party that wins the most number of seats in the alliance. This has apparently not gone down well with the Shiv Sena (UBT), which is pitching Uddhav Thackeray as the CM face. In actuality, Thackeray met with several high-ranking members of the Congress on his visit to Delhi, including KC Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and national president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Pawar said the MVA will sit together in the next two to three days and a decision will be made regarding seat sharing within the alliance. “Some Left-wing parties are strong. We will start by considering those who have cooperated with us,” he said, adding he is not aware if there is a possibility of a “third front” in the state.

The assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held after Diwali.

For more reliable and latest news