New Delhi, March 11:
Nationalist Congress Party chief and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar said that he will not be contesting Lok Sabha polls this year. Pawar said, “I thought that already two members of my family are contesting polls this time and hence I felt this is right time to take decision to not contest since I already have contested 14 times in the past”. The 78-year-old veteran leader was expected to contest from the Madha Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. The Madha seat is held by his party leader Vijaysingh Mohite Patil. Pawar’s announcement at a press conference came after recent speculation that he may contest from there. “There was a lot of insistence (from within NCP) that I contest from Madha. However, my candidature hasn’t been declared yet,” Pawar said. The NCP chief also indicated that Parth, son of his nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar, may be fielded from Maval LS constituency in Pune district. “Many people are asking (me) to field Parth from Maval,” the former Union minister said.
