"Absolutely no idea": Supriya Sule dispels rumours on Congress claim of central cabinet berth

Aug 17, 2023

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 17 : Working president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar faction) Supriya Sule dispelled rumours surrounding her and Sharad Pawar getting offers for certain positions in the central government. 
"I have absolutely no idea where it is coming from," Supriya Sule said. 
Speaking on the posters being put up by the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP put up in Beed where Sharad Pawar's rally is scheduled, Supriya Sule said, "I have no idea. I haven't seen the posters. So I can't comment, unfortunately."
On the minor rift between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress in Delhi, Sule said, "I have absolutely no idea."
Sounding optimistic about the upcoming INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai, Sule said, "Everybody is coming. We are looking forward to hosting them. We are absolutely excited. The Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP are absolutely looking forward to hosting them."
The NCP MP confirmed that her party had received the notice from the Election Commission over their party name. "Yes received. For the second time," she said. 
On the Nehru Memorial renaming controversy, she said, "I haven't seen it. So I have to read it and find out. I don't know any details on it."
Earlier on Wednesday, reacting to a media report of Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, claiming that a central cabinet berth had been offered to NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar or his daughter Supriya Sule said that no one has approached her with an offer of a portfolio.
Speaking to ANI, Supriya Sule said, “I have not heard or received any such offers. I have seen the offers for items like cereals and sugar on sale for Independence Day, in the newspaper and those are the only offers I know about." 
Sule said that she has not received any such offers for any positions at the Centre. She also denounced the comments of Maharashtra Congress leaders but mentioned that she is in constant touch with Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
“I cannot comment on any hypothetical statement...I am in constant touch with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi, Kharge...I am personally in touch with their senior leaders in Delhi. So I really don't know what the leaders in Maharashtra have to say," she explained.
Speaking further on the personal bond the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP shares with the Congress leadership in Delhi, Supriya Sule said, "Kharge ji and Mr Pawar speak almost every day. Rahul ji and I sit on the same bench in Parliament. So I get a lot of opportunities to chit-chat with him."
"Sonia ji fortunately sits right in front of me. So I get a lot of time to discuss a lot of important issues and she is very kind and indulgent while talking to even junior people like us who are members of Parliament. Gaurav Gogoi and I, when we sit together, we strategise all our parliamentary moves. So I have access to all the leaders in Delhi. So it will be unfair to talk about their leaders in Maharashtra because I have not spoken to them nor have they reached out to me," she elaborated.
Ajit Pawar, along with eight loyalist MLAs, engineered a split in the NCP earlier this year. The rival faction joined the ruling NDA government in the state, with Ajit Pawar taking oath as the deputy chief minister.