New Delhi: Accepting his party’s poor performance in Maharashtra on Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he appreciated the people’s decision. But he did not shy away from expressing doubts over the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The Congress and NCP is set for a drubbing at the hands of the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance as per the available leads in Maharashtra so far. The NCP, which had won Baramati, Madha, Kolhapur and Satara seats in 2014, is currently leading in just four seats.
When the trends became clear, Pawar said, “I accept people's decision but this is also a fact that people had their doubts about EVMs. The Congress had performed really well in Rajiv Gandhi's time, but nobody doubted elections then, it was the same when Atal Bihari Vajpayee won.”
Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, contesting from the family bastion of Baramati, is leading against the BJP’s Kanchan Kul. While the two fought a tough contest in the first half of the day, Sule overtook her finally to lead the seat.
The NCP is currently leading in Satara, another traditional NCP seat where Udayanraje Bhosale is contesting. He has a clear upper hand over his opponent.
Television actor Amol Kolhe is leading in Shirur, where he faces sitting MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil of the Shiv Sena. Another NCP candidate leading the seat is Sunil Tatkare contesting from Raigad.
Navneet Kaur Rana, an independent candidate from Amravati, is leading in her seat. She is supported by the NCP, thus taking up the tally to five probable wins for the NCP.
Sharad Pawar’s grandson Parth is trailing in Maval, with the Sena’s Shrirang Barne having taken a decisive lead against him.
The NCP patriarch faced a lot of criticism after Parth’s candidature was announced from Maval. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked Pawar for decisions that indicated ‘dynasty politics’, just like the Congress. Later, the NCP chief had withdrawn his candidature from Madha after the row over the family politics continued.
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