NCP will survey all 288 constituencies in run up to Assembly polls: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: NCP’s National President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said that even though his party is an ally in the Mahayuti in Maharashtra, the party will hold its own survey in all 288 Assembly constituencies in the run up to the poll slated for October-November this year.

“Everyone has the right to work for their party's growth in the state. NCP also has the right to call for applications from interested candidates for 288 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the ensuing elections. The party will conduct an exhaustive survey in all 288 seats,” added Ajit Pawar in a media interaction.

Party Working President Praful Patel said the NCP had won 54 seats in the 2019 elections so it will claim all those seats.

“Along with this, other seats will also be reviewed on behalf of the NCP. Nawab Malik will also be included in these seats. The party will stake claim in seats where its candidates have won and where the party has bright winning prospects,” he added.

Ajit Pawar also said that the candidates will be selected based on elective merit.

Although he added that the Mahayuti partners have yet to start formal talks on seat sharing, he hoped it would be kick-started soon.

Ajit Pawar reiterated that the Mahayuti will contest the upcoming election under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“Like PM Modi’s guarantee, the Mahayuti will approach voters on CM Shinde’s guarantee,” he added.

Ajit Pawar said none of the legislators will leave the party and go back to the NCP(SP).

“If anyone had to return to the NCP(SP) they would have switched sides during the biennial election to the state Council held last week. No one did that. Instead, all legislators voted for the party's two nominees who were elected to the state Council,” he added.

“There is no problem even if the present MLAs who are with me withdraw, we will give opportunities to new people. NCP currently has many new candidates. I gave opportunity to many new faces when the NCP was united and all of them are working in good positions,” said Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar also clarified that the party did not make any financial commitment or offer to the legislators from other parties who voted for NCP nominees in the state council elections.

On the nomination of 12 to the state Council from the Governor’s quota, Ajit Pawar said that the Mahayuti hopes it will be done by August.

“The matter with regard to the lack of nomination of 12 names suggested by the Uddhav Thackeray-led government by the then Governor is currently sub judice.

“As former Governor BS Koshyari has now been replaced by Ramesh Bais, the government after the Cabinet’s approval will send fresh 12 names to the Governor.

“They are expected to be nominated by August before the forthcoming Assembly election. These 12 members will be in addition to nine members who were elected in last week’s election to the Upper House,” he commented.

Ajit Pawar admitted that there were no Muslims in the state council now, but he said that the party would give representation to the community in the Governor-nominated members.

Ajit Pawar said that the NCP had demanded Ahmednagar and Madha Lok Sabha seats during seat sharing talks with the BJP and Shiv Sena but it did not get them.

“Had the party got these two seats, party nominees would have certainly been elected. I had taken a decision to nominate Nilesh Lanke from Ahmednagar seat and Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil or Sanjumama Shinde from Madha constituency. However, both seats were contested by the BJP and lost,” he said.

Incidentally, Lanke and Mohite-Patil were elected from Ahmednagar and Madha seats on NCP(SP) tickets.