Bureaucrat-turned-politician Zende is NCP candidate in Purandar friendly fight

The political animosity between Pawar and Shiv Sena candidate Shivtare is well known and continues to exist despite their parties being in alliance. Shivtare had launched a tirade against Ajit Pawar during the Lok Sabha election with his aggressive stand to contest the Baramati Lok Sabha seat to take on the Pawar family. However, Shivtare calmed down during the Lok Sabha election. “We don’t think Shivtare followed the alliance rule during the Lok Sabha election. He did not campaign wholeheartedly for NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar,” said Zende.

The NCP candidate said the party had decided much before the election was announced on contesting the assembly election. “I was given the A, B forms by the party leadership and was never asked to withdraw till the last minute.
I am the NCP candidate with the party symbol in Purandar even though Shiv Sena has fielded Shivtare,” he said.

Zende said the contest is mainly between him and the sitting Congress candidate as the Shiv Sena candidate is not even in the picture. “One should not fall for the false assurance of the Shiv Sena candidate regarding Punrandar’s development,” he said. He added that he believed the constituency’s progress should be done by bringing in irrigation projects and industry.

On switching over to NCP from NCP (SP) ahead of assembly election, Zende said he has been a follower of Sharad Pawar and it was for his political career that he joined NCP as both the parties follow the same ideology.

“I have good experience of working in government service, so I can effectively solve the problems of the constituency. My father was in politics and after retiring from government service, I carry forward my family’s legacy in politics,” he said.