NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday announced that he would not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election and was not in the race to become the Opposition's prime ministerial candidate, ANI reported. The NCP supremo said his role was uniting the Opposition parties and help in forging an alliance to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP next year.
"My efforts are for bringing the Opposition together. Same efforts are being made by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. I am not contesting next election so where is the question of becoming a PM candidate. I am not in the race to become PM. We want a leadership who can work for the development of the nation," Pawar said.
The former Union Minister, however, said the MVA alliance parties were yet to come to a conclusion on seat-sharing formula. "A meeting was held at my residence where it was discussed that leaders from all three parties (of MVA) will decide on it. Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi or Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will sit together to discuss it," ANI quoted Pawar as saying.
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Praising Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', the NCP chief said, "Karnataka Assembly election results are the best example of Rahul Gandhi's Padyatra. Whatever one says about Rahul Gandhi, I am sure that people would strengthen his ideology."
The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises of the NCP, Congress and Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, has decided to contest the civic, Lok Sabha and assembly polls jointly.
Last week, Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they would contest on all the 19 seats that the Shiv Sena (undivided) won in the last election. However, of the 19 MPs, 13 have jumped ship to the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Previously, Pawar had said that Opposition unity won't happen overnight and assured that in the "next three to four months of discussions this can be done".
"We are trying for it (to bring together Opposition parties). It won't happen immediately but I think in the next 3 to 4 months of discussion this can be done," Pawar had said.
"People want change and to bring that there is no single party that can take responsibility for the entire country. Many Opposition political parties have their govt in many states, for example, Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. So we are thinking that we all should be in touch with such leaders and if possible try to work on a common minimum programme and give alternatives to the citizens of the nation," he had said.