Mumbai: Sharad Pawar Downplays CM Face Debate, Says NCP Focused On Changing Maharashtra Government

Mumbai: Amid Shiv Sena (UBT)'s push for the opposition MVA to declare its chief ministerial candidate in Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday insisted no one from his party was interested in getting projected for the top post and instead, they were focused on effecting a change of government in the poll-bound state.

He informed that seat-sharing talks among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents for the upcoming assembly polls were delayed due to the August 20 protest in Thane district's Badlapur over alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls in a school, and they will now be held on August 27.

Replying to a question on Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray insisting on the MVA projecting a CM face before the assembly polls, while the Congress taking a different stand on the issue, Pawar maintained as far as his party was concerned, no one was interested in being projected as the candidate for the top post.

“We want to give a better administration to the people of the state by remaining on one page (with other MVA allies),” he argued. “As far as I am concerned, I am out of the question and that is why there was no need to raise this issue (of CM face) now. Today, people want an alternative, so let's focus on how to give it to them,” contended the veteran politician who has served as Maharashtra CM multiple times.

In the last few days, the Shiv Sena UBT, Congress, and NCP (SP) leaders have made different statements about the MVA's CM post. UBT MP Sanjay Raut said there would be a Thackeray 2.0 government after the election. On the other hand, Congress state president Nana Patole and Jayant Patil of NCP kept saying the CM's face will be decided after considering which alliance party has the most MLAs in the state assembly.

On August 16, Uddhav Thackeray during the MVA rally at Shanmukhanand auditorium appealed to Congress and NCP to declare the face of the CM post and showed his willingness to support that candidate.