Pawar sells his IPL bid story but gets no buyers

New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar insists that he or his family members never bid for the Pune IPL team but he is increasingly finding it difficult to convince people.

The BJP on Sunday demanded that the NCP chief resign from the government after media reports that the City Corporation Ltd (CCL), a company in which the Minister and his family have 16 per cent equity, had bid for the Pune team. The Congress, the NCP’s ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, refused to comment on the matter.

"Pawar has been repeatedly misleading the country and misrepresenting the facts on his role in IPL bidding," said senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad in Uttan, Maharashtra.

Prasad rejected Pawar’s statements that the Pune-based City Corporation’s managing director Aniruddha Deshpande bid for the Pune team in his personal capacity and the company was not involved in it.

"It is not that only Pawar is misleading the country but CCL MD Anirudh Deshpande has also misrepresented the facts. The Company Affairs Ministry must take action," he said.

"If Pawar fails to quit, Prime Minister should take action against him," said Prasad. "Every day Pawar has been misrepresenting facts. Should a political leader of his stature indulge in gross misrepresentation?"

"Mr Prime Minister you always talk of integrity in governance. We will judge you on the action you take on this matter," he said.

In New Delhi, the Congress offered no defence for the Agriculture Minister. "The Congress party's stand is the same. These are the nitty-gritty details about which you will have to ask the NCP. A general inquiry into the matter is already on," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.

CNN-IBN on Saturday accessed a City Corporation board resolution dated the January 31st that authorised Deshpande to bid for the Pune IPL franchise on behalf of the company. Deshpande insists that the January 31st resolution was reversed by the board on March 17.

Deshpande told CNN-IBN that the company decided not to bid for the Pune IPL team but allowed him to do so in his personal capacity. He claims the board allowed him to use the company's name on bid documents.

“The bid was made by a top official of the company in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the firm. What is relevant is the subsequent resolution of the board in March which is binding,” said Pawar on Sunday.

Pawar’s statement doesn’t explain why he and Deshpande never mentioned the January 31st resolution until it came out in the media.

Critics said that it took City Corporation seven weeks -- from January 31 to March 17 -- to reverse its decision to bid for the Pune IPL franchisee is suspicious. They also point out that the Pawars did speak about their stake in City Corporation till The Times of India revealed it.

(With inputs from CNN-IBN and PTI)