Praful rules himself out, Sunetra set to be NCP national chief

MUMBAI: After assuming the relation of Maharashtra’s lawman CM, Sunetra Pawar is acceptable to go NCP nationalist chief, replacing hubby Ajit Pawar who was killed successful an aerial clang past week. Amid speculation astir whether helium would instrumentality up the role, enactment moving president Praful Patel ruled himself retired of the contention and said the enactment wanted her to judge the post.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra govt appointed her guardian curate for Pune and Beed, posts earlier held by Ajit.“We would each similar her to judge the station of enactment main and enactment her successful taking the enactment forward. This would beryllium the existent homage to Ajit Pawar,” Patel said, adding, “We volition person to telephone a enactment gathering and instrumentality a determination successful keeping with the sentiments of the enactment and public. I americium not successful the race.” He said the contented of a merger betwixt NCP and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) was not earlier them astatine this point. “We are focusing connected settling enactment affairs,” Patel said. Dismissing speech of a merger, helium said Ajit had clarified astatine slightest doubly to TV channels that determination was nary specified connection and the coordination was lone for section assemblage polls. “We allied with BJP successful Ahilyanagar and Shiv Sena successful Nasik too,” helium said. “He (Ajit) did accidental immoderate radical expressed the sentiment that the parties should enactment together, but determination was nary superior discussion,” Patel said. He dismissed videos of a gathering betwixt NCP and NCP (SP) netas, saying, “We bash meet... We were erstwhile portion of the aforesaid family.”(With inputs from Anurag Bende successful Pune)