Pune: The Lok Sabha election campaign is picking momentum as the ruling and opposition alliances are announcing their respective candidates.
Workers and leaders seem to be returning to the NCP (SP). Parner MLA Nilesh Lanke and Beed’s Bajrang Sonawane have joined the Sharad Pawar camp.
Meanwhile, Pawar on Friday indicated that more leaders and workers would join him. He said, “We have still not decided about Jyoti Mete’s candidature from Beed. We will take the Shiv Sena (UBT) into confidence and decide. Once the ruling alliance announces their list, more people will cross over to us. You may not see them now, but they will surely join us.”
‘I will not enter the fray’
There have been rumours of Pawar entering the fray for the past couple of days. It was said that he would contest from the Satara or Madha seat. Reacting to such speculations, he categorically denied rumours saying, “I will not fight any election.”
He said, “Agencies like the ED are acting against major opposition leaders. They acted against the Jharkhand chief minister earlier. He has been jailed. There is liquor policy in every state. The state cabinet has the powers to formulate policies. If anything is wrong with them, questions should be raised in the elections. Instead of that they are directly arresting leaders. Yesterday, they arrested a chief minister. Arresting someone for formulating policy is wrong. Power is being misused. It is very concerning.”