Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar has pledged to work tirelessly over the next two months to reclaim power in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Addressing the Yuva Sanvad program in Ghatkopar West, Mumbai, on Sunday, Pawar criticized both the state and central administrations. He expressed concerns about growing unrest among the populace, stating, “I assure you we will not rest until we are in power in Maharashtra within the next two months. I see unrest among people wherever I go.”
Elections for Maharashtra’s 288-member legislative assembly are expected later this year, as the current government’s term concludes in 2024. The Election Commission of India has not yet set the election dates.
Reflecting on his previous tenure as Union Minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, Pawar recalled his commitment to agriculture. “When I first assumed my role, I found the country’s food grain stock was alarmingly low. Despite initial challenges, we eventually made India a leading wheat producer,” he noted.
Pawar also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent collapse of a Shivaji statue in Maharashtra. “Modi claims to have a good relationship with me and has praised his association with me. However, his involvement seems to bring issues. The recent statue collapse is a case in point,” Pawar remarked.
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On August 26, a 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district collapsed. Prime Minister Modi has since apologized to the people of Maharashtra for the incident.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the state government is acting swiftly to reconstruct the statue and has formed two committees to investigate the collapse in the Malvan area.