My father not rejoining politics: Sharmistha
New Delhi, June 10: Former President Pranab Mukherjee is not going to rejoin politics, his daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said on Sunday.
She made the comment after the Shiv Sena said that the RSS might propose Pranab Mukherjee's name as Prime Minister in case the BJP failed to get a majority in the 2019 general elections.
Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut told reporters: "We feel the RSS is preparing itself for a situation where it might put forth Pranab Mukherjeeji's name as Prime Minister if BJP fails to get the required numbers (in 2019). In any case, the BJP will lose a minimum of 110 seats this time."
Sharmistha Mukherjee said: "Mr Raut, after retiring as the President of India, my father is NOT going to enter active politics again."
The former President attended an RSS event at its headquarters in Nagpur on June 7.
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Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
