Maharashtra polls: Our alliance will resolve issues, says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said on Monday that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would form the government in Maharashtra in the interest of the people.

"Our Alliance will work to resolve the issues. Issues like inflation, unemployment, various questions of farmers, women, adivasis, the poor," he said.

He also criticised the Mahayuti ruling alliance for not resolving the issues of the people.

"We want to change the government in Maharashtra there are lot of issues of the people of Maharashtra are pending because that has not been resolved by the people who are in power currently. We will take all the issues in front of people of Maharashtra and prepare them for the change in Maharashtra", he added. 

Further criticising the Ladli Behna Yojna of the government, he said that people only remember this scheme because it was announced recently.

"Government only remembered Ladli Bahan and Bhai on the face of election all the facilities announced in last three four months...people will not accept this they teach them lesson in this election they did in loksabha," he said.

The NCP-SP patron attended the nomination filing of his grand-nephew Yogendra Pawar, the NC-SP candidate from Baramati, who is going to be contesting against Ajit Pawar.

"Today Yogendra Pawar has filed his nomination from Baramati I came to support him. He is highly educated who studied administration and business he is knowledgeable about all these things therefore the party has given this opportunity to him I am sure the people of Baramati will accept this new young leadership like them they were supporting me for last 57 years, he said.

Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP candidate Ajit Pawar filed his nomination too.

"Everyone has the right to contest. Whenever any candidate is fielded against me I take them as a strong candidate and campaign accordingly. This time too the people of Baramati will elect me and I have faith in them," said Ajit Pawar.

Notably, Ajit Pawar is nephew and grandson of Sharad Pawar. He split the NCP in June 2023.

Moreover, Yogendra Pawar, when asked about contesting the election against his uncle, who has won this seat seven times, Yugendra Pawar said that he feels it is quite sad and quite unfortunate.

"I feel it is quite sad, quite unfortunate that this had to come in the family. Not in Vidhan Sabha but it started in Lok Sabha and we were always together and even the incumbent MLA was always under the guidance of the founder of the party and family patriarch Sharad Pawar Sahab. What happened all of India has seen. The party split and the symbol was given to them by the election commission," he told ANI.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.