Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's grandson Parth Pawar will be contesting his first-ever election from Maval Lok Sabha constituency. The Quint caught up with the politician to speak to him about his electoral debut and the pressure of the Pawar family name.
Talking about his debut in the elections, he said that while it was difficult, because of the trolling and the pressure, he was confident about his victory from the seat.
When asked about the latest ABP-C Voter survey which has predicted a Shiv Sena victory from his seat, Pawar said that he does not take voter surveys very seriously, adding that the people know that they are fake.
“Those surveys are fake. Just like fake news, which is very prevalent today, that is a fake survey,” he said.
Speaking about having been given a ticket by the NCP, he said that the party must have taken the decision after thinking it through. "Pawar took a decision which he felt was in favour of the party," referring to how the chief had decided not to contest the polls and instead pushed his grandson as the party's candidate.
He also rubbished reports of a power struggle in the family, saying that people don't understand that Sharad Pawar is still an MP.
“People have created this topic for media attention and we have faced it as a family. All is well, there is no problem,” he said.
Pawar questioned the achievements of the Modi government in its five years, saying they had only made false promises and that the country had received no benefits.
“Unemployment is so high that people don't have job opportunities. Companies aren't performing well, their economic cycle is disturbed. FDIs have stopped and no new company wants to invest in India. So what have you achieved?” he said.
Talking about the pressure of the Pawar family name, he said that it was natural. "When your father or grandfather is a successful figure in your profession, then you feel the pressure,” he said. He further added that he was focussed on getting elected and then performing.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)