Leaders from Opposition parties are not going to the BJP because they like its ideology, but because of "ICE - Income Tax, CBI and ED", three-time MP Supriya Sule told NDTV today. Ms Sule, daughter of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, is set to contest again from the Baramati parliamentary constituency that she has represented since 2009. A family stronghold, the seat was earlier represented by Mr Pawar from 1996 to 2009.
This election, however, is different. Between the last election and this one, Sharad Pawar's NCP has split - one faction is led by the octogenarian and the other by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who has tied up with the BJP and Shiv Sena and joined the Maharashtra government. Ms Sule will now be contesting as a candidate of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), the faction led by the veteran.
And the battle for Baramati this time, it is learnt, may see a Pawar vs Pawar contest. Ajit Pawar's wife and environmental activist Sunetra Pawar is likely to take on her sister-in-law Supriya on the key seat.
Asked about this, Ms Sule replied, "I don't know who is contesting against me because it has not been announced officially. I will tell you once that happens."
Asked about the poll prospects of the INDIA alliance, especially in the wake of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's arrest and split in Opposition parties, she said, "Democracy is being murdered. The ones who went to BJP did not do so out of love. They went because of ICE - Income tax (department), CBI and ED. The BJP had raised a storm over Ashok Chavan. And now they have taken him in. This is how they are breaking parties. This is not politics, this is murder of democracy."
Mr Chavan, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister who was formed to resign over allegations of corruption, quit the Congress and joined the BJP last month.
On why she is confident of another victory in Baramati, Ms Sule said, "My work is in front of everyone, so is my parliamentary performance. And there is no allegation of corruption against me."
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