City Corporation’s MD defends Pawar over IPL controversy

PUNE/NEW DELHI - City Corporation’s Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande on Friday said former BCCI President and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and his family have no involvement in the bid for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees.

Deshpande said that Pawar and his family had nothing to do with the IPL bidding.

“The family of Pawar has nothing to do with this bid, and the name of City Corporation has come into picture only because City Group had purchased the tender under their name,” said Deshpande.

“However, I had bid on behalf of my name along with Maharashtra Cricket Association, so we had done a sporting bid, which might be the reason why we came last in bidding, and Pawar has nothing to do with this bidding,” he added.

Deshpande further said that in case Pawar had wanted a stake, he could have done it in the first phase of IPL itself, as he was the BCCI President then.

“I don’t have even one percent doubt that family of Sharad Pawar has any sort of interest in it. The man, who was the president of BCCI, in case if he is willing to have one or two percent of stake, he would have purchased a team in first IPL itself,” said Deshpande.

He, however, agreed that before making the unsuccessful bid, he had discussed it with his firm’s Board of Directors, but they had objected to it.

“I purchased the tender form only on the name of City Corporation because I gave that letterhead, so I purchased on that name. Subsequently, when I had called for a board meeting informing that we will bid for an IPL team, all the board members said that we would not bid for it,” said Deshpande.

“Then I told them that I had to bid for it, so can I bid for it in my individual capacity, it’s only that the tender document is under the name of City Corporation Limited, I had asked them if they had any objection to this,” he added.

Earlier today, Sharad Pawar dismissed reports of his family’s involvement in the bid for IPL franchisees.

“Neither I nor my family is involved with any IPL team or with the bidding process,” said Pawar. (ANI)