After the opposition-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a massive defeat in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday (November 24) addressed a series of queries regarding the poll outcomes, including the alliance's poor performance.
Speaking to the media in Karad city, Satara district, Pawar acknowledged that the election results were not as expected and vowed to revitalize his party. He stated that the NCP (SP) would reconnect with the people by fostering new leadership.
"Everyone knows who founded the NCP"
Addressing the performance of the Ajit Pawar-led splinter NCP faction, which fared significantly better than his own party by securing 41 seats compared to the NCP (SP)’s 10 seats, Sharad Pawar remarked, "Everyone knows who founded the NCP."
He further commented, "The Ladki Bahin scheme and religious polarization played a role. Women's participation in large numbers could be one of the reasons for the Mahayuti's sweep in Maharashtra. We will study the reasons for the debacle and take necessary steps."
"Will speak about EVMs only after receiving official data"
During the media interaction, Sharad Pawar also responded to concerns about electronic voting machines (EVMs) raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. Pawar stated, "I will only speak about EVMs if I have official data."
Reflecting on the MVA’s overall performance, he remarked, "The MVA coalition put in a lot of hard work, but the desired results were not achieved, even though the people responded positively to the MVA during campaigning." He added that the alliance felt more confident after its success in the Lok Sabha elections but noted that more work needs to be done.
"Ajit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar cannot be compared"
Addressing the decision to field his grandnephew Yugendra Pawar against Ajit Pawar from Baramati, Sharad Pawar defended the move, stating, "Ajit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar cannot be compared. We were aware of this fact." It is worth noting that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) suffered the worst defeat of his political career in Maharashtra. While his faction managed to win only 10 seats in the 288-member House, the Ajit Pawar-led faction bagged 41 seats, marking a significant setback for the veteran politician.
