He said that the seat-sharing talks among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituencies for the upcoming assembly elections were delayed due to the August 20 protest in Badlapur, Thane district, over alleged sexual abuse of two minor girls in a school, and will now be held on August 27.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP), along with the Congress, are part of the MVA, a state-level alliance of opposition parties.
Replying to a question on Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray insisting that the MVA project a CM face before the assembly polls while the Congress takes a different stand on the issue, Pawar maintained that as far as his party was concerned, no one was interested in being projected as a candidate for the top post.
“Nobody is interested (in being projected as the CM face) of our party. Nobody is being projected from our party. We just want to bring about a change in the government. We want to give better administration to the people of the state by staying on the same page (with other MVA allies),” he argued.
Ahead of the elections, Pawar said the focus should be on offering an alternative to the ruling Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP.
“As far as I am concerned, I have no doubt and that is why there was no need to raise this issue (of the CM’s face) now. Today, people want an alternative and let us focus on how to provide it to them,” said the veteran politician who has been the CM of Maharashtra on several occasions.
The Rajya Sabha MP said MVA voters should finalise the distribution of seats at the earliest.
He said a meeting to discuss seat allocation among the allies was postponed due to the Badlapur incident and will now take place on August 27.
“The top MVA leaders will meet. I hope they will take a decision on the seats at the earliest and give a clear picture to the people of the state,” the NCP (SP) president said.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are due before the end of November.
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