MVA govt is a success, I am no remote control: Pawar

Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Giving full marks to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra as a "successful experiment", Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar here on Saturday said that he neither acted like a "headmaster" nor wielded a "remote control" of the three-party coalition regime.

"The styles of working of the late (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are quite different... But the latter is doing a good job as the Chief Minister," Pawar said, applauding Uddhav's 8-months at the state's helm.

His observations came in marathon interview with the Shiv Sena official paper, Saamana, conducted by its executive editor Sanjay Raut.

"Definitely... I can say that the MVA is a successful experiment," Pawar said about the government that comprises of Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress besides smaller groups.

Asked whether he was like a headmaster or wielded a remote control over the government, Pawar, who is the chief architect of the MVA, asserted: "No... none of these... I an not a headmaster, not a remote control... this is a democratic government and cannot be run by any remote control... the government is run by the CM and his council of ministers."

Pawar spoke with Raut on a wide variety of issues including the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing lockdown.