Sharad Pawar's Political Strategy: MVA's Unity and Civic Polls in Maharashtra

Sharad Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, underlined the importance of unity among the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi ahead of the impending civic elections in Maharashtra. Pawar expressed his hope that parties like the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Shetkari Kamgar Paksh will converge on a decision to jointly contest the elections.

Pawar was startled to discover that the Pune District Central Co-operative Bank in Baramati, led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, was operational until midnight prior to an election at the local sugar mill. Pawar underscored that the bank's late hours are dictated by those in control and mentioned Ajit Pawar's candidacy for the sugar mill board.

Addressing concerns over language policies, Pawar supported Hindi as an optional subject in schools. This came amid accusations from opposition parties that the BJP is trying to undermine Marathi language and culture. Meanwhile, Pawar dismissed rumors of a cyberattack causing a recent Air India crash, vouching for the airline's safety measures. On foreign policy, he emphasized continued cooperation with the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)