‘Would like to be Maha CM someday’
MUMBAI: State Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and water resources minister Jayant Patil said that he has the aspiration to become the chief minister (CM) of Maharashtra. He said anyone who has been in politics for a long period would desire to become the CM but his party does not have numbers. He also said that party supremo Sharad Pawar’s word would be the final one on the issue.
Patil’s statement assumes significance as deputy CM and Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar is believed to be holding the second position in NCP after party chief. The rise of Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule in the party in the past few years is also being seen as an indication that Pawar senior has been grooming his daughter for bigger responsibilities. Sule is also part of the top brass and has a say in major decisions. Both Ajit Pawar and Sule are considered top CM candidates in NCP.
“It is obvious. Everyone in politics would like to become the CM one day, but the decision of Pawar saheb is final for us. We have only 54 MLAS and going by the situation, I don’t believe it is possible to get the CM’S position. We need to improve the number of MLAS, and expand the party,” Patil said in response to a question in an interview at Sangli.
Later, he clarified that a section of the media has distorted his statement. “I clearly said anyone who has been working for so long in politics would like to become CM but we don’t have the numbers and the final decision has to be taken by Pawar saheb,” he told reporters in Mumbai. When asked who would he support between Ajit Pawar and Sule for the top post, he said, “I don’t think there’ll come a time when I will have to choose between them. They are from one family and considering them as different entities is a mistake.” Meanwhile, when Ajit Pawar was asked for his response, he said, “I support whatever desire [to become CM] he [Patil] has expressed.”