New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party-SP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said that the Pawar family decided not to contest the Baramati by-election out of grief over the untimely demise of Ajit Pawar, but refrained from criticising the Congress for choosing to contest the bypoll.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha member, Pawar noted that while the Congress party has decided to field a candidate in Baramati, it is within its right to do so.

When asked about his grandnephew Parth Pawar, who claimed that the downfall of the Congress has begun due to its decision to contest the bypoll, Pawar remarked that he was unsure whether Parth Pawar possessed the political maturity required to comment on the Congress party.

Sharad Pawar maintained that fielding a candidate in Baramati is the Congress party’s prerogative and that it likely made the decision based on the prevailing situation. He noted that while they are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, such issues occasionally arise in specific constituencies and are not matters of national significance.

Responding further to criticism by Parth Pawar, Sharad Pawar said that making such political statements requires maturity. “I do not know whether he (Parth Pawar) possesses that level of political maturity,” the veteran leader said.

Following the vacancy created by Ajit Pawar’s passing, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar filed her nomination for the Baramati by-election on Monday. While the NCP-SP did not field a candidate, Congress — a member of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi — has entered the fray.

Sharad Pawar said, “To contest any election, one must accept that there will be an opponent. We chose not to field a candidate. Many people contest many elections, but as a family, we are grieving the untimely loss of Ajit Pawar. As the head of the family, it is my responsibility. Therefore, we decided that we would not contest this election.”

Regarding the Rahuri Assembly bypoll, Sharad Pawar said he was unaware of why former minister and NCP-SP leader Prajakt Tanpure withdrew. He stated that the party had instructed local leaders to take a decision if Tanpure was not contesting, leading to the nomination of Govind Mokate.

On merger discussions, Sharad Pawar clarified that talks regarding the merger of both NCP factions had previously taken place between NCP-SP leader Jayant Patil and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. At that time, Ajit Pawar had a different stance. “Now that he is no longer with us, there is no longer any discussion regarding a merger within our party,” he said.

–IANS

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