Ajit Pawar ups the ante in Maha, to campaign against Prithviraj Chavan

Barely a week after the Congress and NCP parted the ways in the state, the former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has taken the rivalry with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to a personal level. Pawar said that the NCP candidate from the South Karad assembly constituency has withdrawn his nomination and his party has extended support to the sitting MLA and Congress rebel candidate Vilas Kaka Undalkar, who is contesting against Chavan.

“Since the Vilas Kaka Undalkar is the senior legislator in the assembly, we want him in the legislative assembly. So we have supported him and our party’s candidate has withdrawn his nomination today. We will fully support Undalkar and I will also campaign for him in Karad,” Pawar during an interaction with mediapersons on Wednesday evening.

The Congress has fielded Chavan instead of Undalkar who is a seven time MLA. After the seat went to Chavan, Undalkar revolted against the Congress and decided to contest independently from the south Karad assembly constituency. Others in the fray are BJP candidate Atul Bhosale and Shiv Sena candidate Ajinkya Patil.

“During campaigning I will tell the people of Karad that if they choose Undalkar, then they will get two legislators as Chavan is already a member of legislative council,” he said indicating that the NCP would make all the possible attempts to defeat Chavan.

Pawar said that he has also sought information under RTI about the decision taken by former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in last two months. “For the last four years he (Chavan) did not take decisions and kept the files pending. However, in last two months he cleared all the files. How come suddenly he started clearing the files? Does he have a tonic for it? I have sought information under the RTI about the decisions taken by Chavan in last two months. If we find something wrong, then we will surely demand an inquiry against him,” he added and mocked Chavan for his poll advertisement that are played on television channels where his signature can be seen.

“He was in the PMO all these years. If he says that ours was a demonic aspiration to become the chief minister, then we should say his aspirations are of a witch. The person who has a clean image should not indulge in making baseless allegations,” he said responding to a query over Chavan’s allegations that NCP snapped ties with Congress with an eye on the chief minister post.