1 2 Pune: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar ’s elder son Parth on Tuesday said that he is not interested in contesting elections as of now and will focus on the party’s expansion. “I do not intend to contest the assembly or any other election now. I will focus on the expansion of the party and visit Delhi and Haryana where elections are scheduled soon,” he added.
Parth also said that his cousin and Ajit Pawar’s nephew Yugendra may contest the assembly election from Baramati but the atmosphere in Baramati favoured Ajit Pawar. Responding to earlier allegations by Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne that NCP did not work for him in the Lok Sabha election, Parth said it is wrong to blame the party as NCP workers helped him win the election. Barne had said that NCP workers in Maval campaigned for the rival candidate due to which his winning margin reduced.
Parth had contested the Lok Sabha election as a united NCP candidate from Maval in 2019 and was defeated by Barne by a margin of more than two lakh votes. Parth held a review meeting with the party’s office bearers in Pimpri Chinchwad on Tuesday. He said that NCP is keen on contesting two seats, including Pimpri and Chinchwad as the party is strong here.
Ajit Pawar, during an earlier meeting with party functionaries from Pimpri Chinchwad, had said that the Chinchwad constituency is likely to go to BJP as it has been decided in the Mahayuti alliance that parties with the current MLAs will retain the seats. BJP’s Ashiwini Jag.