Congress coterie connived twice to keep Pawar off PM’s post: Patel

Mumbai, Dec. Dec 12 : In an embarrassing revelation, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader and General Secretary Praful Patel on Saturday claimed a coterie of Congress leaders had prevented NCP President Sharad Pawar from becoming the Prime Minister on two occasions.
“What I say is what we saw when we were with the Congress. It had happened within the Congress, its not an outsider’s perspective,” Patel – a former union minister said, during the birthday felicitations of Pawar in Mumbai this afternoon.
His response came to a query on an article written by him – referring to the two opportunities Pawar missed in 1991 and 1996 – which was carried as an advertorial by several media houses today.
“We have 48 seats (in Maharashtra) and if the people of the state want, Pawar Saheb can be there (PM). We always wanted him to occupy that post, and we have to ensure that the dream is realised,” Patel exhorted.
Patel’s remarks came barely a couple of days after some speculation emerged from New Delhi that Pawar could be the next United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson to help consolidate the national opposition vis-a-vis the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA at the Centre.
Dwelling on the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the 1991 general elections, Patel said the party was in great shock over the unfortunate event even as the results were out and the Congress was very close to a majority.