Pune: Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday said the party’s decision to withdraw its candidate from the Baramati Assembly by-election was taken after repeated requests from NCP leaders and not due to any pressure from the BJP.
Speaking during his Pune visit, Sapkal said the move does not mean that Congress supports the Nationalist Congress Party. He clarified that the party continues to oppose the NCP for aligning with the BJP.
Sapkal said the decision to contest the Baramati seat had initially shaken the Mahayuti alliance. He claimed that leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party then approached Congress multiple times, urging them to withdraw their candidate.
He also rejected claims that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis influenced the decision. “There was no phone call from Fadnavis. The request came from NCP leaders,” he said.
Sapkal added that Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar had reached out to the Congress leadership. She also met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi regarding the issue.
He said Kharge made it clear that the final decision would be taken by the state leadership. After further discussions between state leaders of both parties, Congress decided to withdraw its candidate.
Sapkal maintained that the decision was taken out of “sympathy” after discussions within the party. However, he stressed that Congress has not changed its political stand and continues to protest against the NCP’s alliance with the BJP.
