M A I N   N E W S

I would not have been minister if Sonia was PM: Pawar

New Delhi, September 24
Despite the two UPA coalition partners fighting the Maharashtra Assembly elections together, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said today that he would not have been a minister if Congress President Sonia Gandhi had become the Prime Minister.

“The question does not arise,” was his reply to a query whether he would have joined the government if Ms Gandhi had headed it.

Asked if his party would have supported the government from outside in that case, Mr Pawar said “yes. But I would not have become a minister because I had taken a public stand (against a person of foreign origin becoming a Prime Minister).”

To another question, the Agriculture Minister said he did not have any personal fight against Ms Gandhi. But she had done a “service to the Congress and the nation” by not accepting the Prime Minister’s post,” he said.

In fact, my stand was not wrong because she has herself decided not to be the Prime Minister,” he added. — PTI