Sharad Pawar: MVA govt will surely complete its five-year run

The ruling MVA constituents are working together in the battle against COVID-19 in Maharashtra and the Congress and NCP are fully supportive of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar has said.

In an interview to a TV channel, Pawar said that the government formed by the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – in November last year – will absolutely complete its five-year run. He exuded confidence that a similar political situation will prevail in the state if the three parties contest the next Assembly election together.

The veteran leader rejected suggestions that he is remote-controlling the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, in which his party is the second largest constituent.

Asked whether there were any differences of opinion between him and Thackeray on easing lockdown with him wanting the unlocking to happen faster, while the chief minister was being more cautious, Pawar said, “Yeah, it is partly true, but not fully correct. I was also not supporting the idea to open up the entire Mumbai, Pune and Thane belt (which accounts for most of COVID-19 cases) immediately. But I was definitely suggesting to reopen slowly the rest of the state and chief minister Mr Thackeray and his team have taken a similar road”, the veteran politician added.