published by, Kavya Mishra
Last Update: May 03, 2023, 16:22 IST
Sharad Pawar talks about Vilasrao Deshmukh in the updated edition of his newly launched Marathi autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Sangati’. (PTI)
Pawar said at a book event on Tuesday that he was stepping down as chief of the NCP, the political outfit he founded in 1999.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar credited late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh for having the proper sense and maturity to lead a coalition government in Maharashtra and said he had doubts about the ability of Prithviraj Chavan, who led the Congress-NCP alliance. had lost power. BJP in 2014 after ruling for 15 years.
In the updated edition of his Marathi autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Sangati’, launched on Tuesday, Pawar wrote that Deshmukh led the Congress-NCP coalition government in an environment that was easy and of mutual understanding. Pawar said Deshmukh’s successors Sushil Kumar Shinde and Ashok Chavan carried forward his tradition.
But, Prithviraj Chavan’s main target was the NCP, resulting in strained relations between the two parties, he said.
An Economic Survey report of 2011-12 stated that despite spending Rs 70,000 crore on irrigation between 2001-2010, there was only 0.1 per cent growth on irrigation after it was felt that NCP leaders were being targeted and suspected There was a deliberate attempt to create. irrigation potential,” Pawar said.
The former Union minister said the decision-making process has become slow and this is weakening the spirit to face the elections. He said that despite a poor performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, there was no sign of reform in the Congress to face the assembly elections that year.
Pawar said that even though a clean image was a positive attribute of Prithviraj Chavan, he doubted whether the Congress leader would be able to take everyone along.
Going back in time, Pawar recalled that Prithviraj Chavan’s parents Anandrao and Premaltai were in the Congress camp, opposed to Yashwantrao Chavan in the party.
“While I had good relations with Yashwantrao Chavan, I did not have good relations with Prithviraj Chavan’s family. Even though there was no difference or conflict between us, there was no healthy and open dialogue.”
“Prithviraj Chavan’s family was known to be close to the Congress leadership in Delhi. I always felt that this proximity is not good for running a coalition government in Maharashtra. After a positive start initially, he forgot that the NCP was an ally.”
Pawar said at a book event on Tuesday that he was stepping down as chief of the NCP, the political outfit he founded in 1999.
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