Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Wednesday dismissed speculation that he will contest the 2022 presidential election or take up a leadership role in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, ANI reported.
“It is absolutely false that I will be a candidate for the presidential election,” Pawar said.
Pawar said that he met election strategist Prashant Kishor two times, but only spoke to him about his company. “No discussion was held regarding the leadership for the 2024 elections or the presidential election,” Pawar said. “Prashant Kishor told me that he has left the field of formulating poll strategies.”
The Nationalist Congress Party chief added that the 2024 elections were far away and the political situation will keep changing.
Pawar’s statement came a day after Kishor met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi. This meeting has led to speculations that they discussed the strategy for the 2024 elections, NDTV reported.
On June 22, eight political parties, including the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, took part in a meeting at Pawar’s house. Speculations were rife that the meeting would be about the upcoming elections after Pawar held discussions with Kishor twice in two weeks.
However, NCP leader Majeed Memon said the meeting was not political. He also denied that discussions took place to stitch up a third front without the Congress. “There is no discrimination. We called all like-minded people,” Memon had said. “We also invited Congress leaders.”
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