Mumbai, Aug 22: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that his party will not extend support to NDA’s Vice Presidential candidate CP Radhakrishnan, citing ideological differences. Pawar confirmed that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reached out to him seeking support, but he made it clear that the NCP (SP) would stand firmly with the INDIA Bloc’s nominee, former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy.
“I received a call from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting support for CP Radhakrishnan. However, I told him it would not be possible, as it goes against our ideology. We have already decided in the INDIA Bloc meeting to back Justice Sudarshan Reddy, who has filed his nomination papers,” Pawar said.
He further pointed out past controversies involving Radhakrishnan, including the arrest of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren at Raj Bhavan when Radhakrishnan was governor. “Our party cannot support a person who misuses constitutional power in such a manner,” he asserted.
Pawar added that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is also unlikely to support the NDA nominee, noting that both parties share similar views on the matter. Despite acknowledging NDA’s numerical advantage, Pawar expressed confidence that the Vice Presidential poll outcome could still be different.
Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis said he had spoken to both Thackeray and Pawar, urging support for Radhakrishnan, who currently serves as Maharashtra Governor. “Uddhav Thackeray said he would consult his party, while Sharad Pawar conveyed that he would support the opposition nominee,” Fadnavis said.
On another note, Pawar praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing “vote chori” campaign in Bihar, highlighting its strong public response. He also criticized the Election Commission for failing to act effectively, alleging irregularities in the voter list.
