NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the issue regarding Satyajit Tambe filing nomination as Independent in the upcoming MLC polls in Maharashtra could have been handled more systematically and row avoided. The Congress was left red-faced after the party leader Sudhir Tambe didn't file a nomination for the Nashik Division Graduates constituency MLC polls. Instead, his son Satyajit Tambe entered the poll fray as an independent candidate.
"I have not discussed this issue with anyone. Not even with my party, but the issue could have been handled more systematically," said Pawar when asked about the developments. He said Congress had nominated Sudhir Tambe but the controversy erupted after Satyajit filed the nomination.
"The person who filed the nomination as an Independent is not from outside. For the last several years he has been representing youths. By calling senior leaders together (for dialogue), the solution could have been reached and this controversy would not have happened," he said.
When asked if Congress failed to resolve internal rumblings, the NCP chief said it would not have been difficult to salvage the situation had all (stakeholders) discussed the issue among themselves. Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party is a constituent of Maha Vikas Aghadi, also comprising Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena. The Congress on Sunday suspended Sudhir Tambe.