Let them write what they want: Pawar on Saamna editorial

A day after the Shiv Sena (UBT) Saamna said that Sharad Pawar has failed to groom a successor, the NCP supremo hit back saying that he does not care what others write about him.

Those who I have groomed have already proved their mettle, Pawar also said.

Pawar told reporters in Satara that he does not attach importance to what people write as to whether he has groomed a successor or not. They will write. It is their right to do so. We ignore it. We know what we are doing and we get satisfaction out of that, Pawar also said.

"Our party colleagues present their own views, but we do not make them public. It is an issue that belongs to our family. Every colleague of ours knows how our party will move forward. Our colleagues are confident about how we create new leadership," he also said.

"When we came to power along with the Congress in 1999, we wanted to form the ministry. The leaders we included were Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, R R Patil, Dilip Walse-Patil, Anil Deshmukh. Like these, there were several names who were experiencing power for the first time. Maharashtra has seen that each one of these leaders proved their mettle. And that is why if people write whether or not we have groomed a successor does not matter to us," Pawar also said.

On the comments by Congress leader, Prithviraj Chavan, that the NCP is in talks with the BJP, Pawar asked where the Congress leader stands within in his own party today.

On his resignation as party chief, Pawar said that he had decided to take back his resignation after several people requested him to do so. In a democracy, you cannot ignore people's will after a limit. After I took back my back my resignation, the party cadre is itching to double up their efforts, he also said.