‘As long as Ajit is with BJP, there can be no reconciliation’; said Supriya Sule on coming together with Pawar family

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) Working President Supriya Sule has said that political reconciliation with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is not possible as long as he is in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sule also said that she would not aspire to the post of Chief Minister if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comes to power. Sule, a four-time Lok Sabha member, said that people voted wisely in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and now there is clarity in the minds of voters. She feels that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will perform well in the assembly elections to be held on November 20. 

The MVA comprises the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Congress. Supriya Sule said, “It is difficult to say whether the Pawar family can reunite politically with Ajit Pawar. As long as he (Ajit Pawar) is working for the BJP, it will not be easy. Our ideologies remain a challenge politically.” 

Supriya is not in the race for CM.

On speculation of being the MVA’s chief ministerial face, she said, “I am not contesting the election and the NCP (SP) has made it clear that we are not in the race for the chief minister’s post. We are clear about this and whatever decision our allies take, we will support it.” Asked if the upcoming assembly elections will clear the political fragmentation in Maharashtra, Sule said the Lok Sabha election results have cleared the confusion. Sule denied that there was any strategy to contest only 10 Lok Sabha seats. She said, “The NCP (SP) is not a party of strategy but of service. We do not make strategies. We focus on serving the nation and doing good policy work.” 

expressed confidence in a good performance

Supriya said that the NCP (SP) is contesting 86 seats out of 288 assembly seats (as per the seat-sharing arrangement of MVA allies) in the Maharashtra assembly elections and is confident of performing well. Sule said there was nothing wrong with the delay in finalizing the seat-sharing among MVA allies. She said, “Alliance talks in a vibrant democracy take time, we should have respect for allies. We made sure that we did not pressurize anyone.” 

Ideological battle in Baramati

Sule said she saw the contest in Baramati assembly seat, a family bastion of Pawar, as nothing more than an ideological battle where Ajit Pawar is pitted against his nephew Yugendra Pawar. “We are with the Congress and they are with the BJP. We are fighting the BJP, so we are fighting their allies as well,” she said. Thanking voters for her fourth Lok Sabha win this year, Sule said she hoped the assembly polls in Baramati would be fair. 

Mahayuti alliance is threatening people.

Supriya Sule claimed that the ruling Mahayuti alliance is threatening people. She said, “People are brave and I will stand with them.” Reacting to Ajit Pawar seeking votes from Baramati voters, Supriya Sule said, “My politics is to serve the country and do good and serious policy work.” She said, “If I ask for votes, it will not be for my happiness, it will be for the happiness of the people. I want every partner of mine to be happy. If they are happy, I will also be happy.”