Have to reclaim past glory: Pawar

Amid speculations of a thaw in relations between the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the NCP (SP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar, the latter on Wednesday indirectly ruled out any such possibility, telling party workers that he was not willing to give up and urging them to "reclaim" their "past glory".

- Faisal Malik

Mumbai:

The senior Pawar cited multiple instances of parties having bounced back following splits or setbacks and urged party workers to focus on the upcoming local body polls.

"Do not harbour any confusion about us as we are going to stay where we are," Pawar said on the first day of a two-day party conclave at YB Chavan auditorium in Mumbai, as quoted by leaders who attended the event.

"NCP (SP) is once again prepared to face the electorate. Let's focus on the upcoming local body elections," he said, stressing that local body polls would be different from the assembly poll as issues like polarisation would not work there. "Local body polls are fought purely on local issues. So, if we focus on them from now on, we will bounce back," he emphasised.

On the first day of the conclave, Pawar held meetings with all frontal organisations such as those working with youth, women and students, and tried to boost their morale.

"I am facing a situation similar to 1999, when I formed the NCP and had nothing to give to the workers. Now, despite several leaders having left us, I am willing to fight but need your support," he is said to have told the gathering. "We will remain where we are and achieve our past glory," he insisted.