NCP has successfully demonstrated how successors are groomed: Sharad Pawar reacts to criticism in Saamana

Mumbai: Brushing aside the criticism regarding not being able to groom his successor in the party, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said that it was an internal matter and his party colleagues know how the party would grow in the future.

Pawar also recounted how new entrants in politics were given cabinet posts in 1999 who later became successful administrators. This is how the party has successfully shown how successors are geoomed, he said while interacting with journalists at Satara.

Sharad Pawar's statements

"We are satisfied with what we do. Our colleagues know how the party will move forward. Those who want to write about it may do so. We don't give much importance to that," Pawar said while reacting to criticism on him in the editorial of Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana.

"They don't know what we have done. We discuss several things in our party. Many times opinions are acutely diverse. But, we don't go out and publicise them. This is our internal thing and my colleagues know how the party is going to grow. Everybody in our party knows how new leadership is groomed in our party. In 1999 several of my colleagues were inducted into the state cabinet for the first time and were given responsibility as senior ministers even though it was their first term. The whole of Maharashtra haa seen their ability. So, whatever you write about whether we groom or not is of least importance to us. We know what we are doing and are happy with it," Pawar said.

Pawar asserted no misunderstanding within MVA

Pawar also asserted that there was no misunderstanding within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance, though some grumbling voices are being heard.

"We may have different opinions, but we certainly don't have misunderstanding," Pawar said and added that there might be some discenting voices, but that won't affect the alliance.

While reacting sharply to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's statement that NCP is the B team of BJP, Sharad Pawar said that Chavan's category in his own party will have to be checked first, whether he belongs to V or C or D category of leaders.