Supriya Sule said it was an unfortunate incident
's 44-year-old daughter Supriya Sule says her father's comment on "voting twice," has taught her a big lesson in life: that jokes can be costly.
Ms Sule, a Member of Parliament, says her father was speaking in jest when, at a rally in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, he asked workers to vote first at their hometowns, wash off the ink that would be daubed on their fingers, and then vote again at their places of work.
"Vote for the clock (NCP's symbol) there and come back to vote for the 'Clock' here as well," he had said, referring to elections being held in two neighbouring parts of Maharashtra on different days. (
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Ms Sule told NDTV, "It was an unfortunate incident and a painful experience for me too."
The 73-year-old politician has
clarified that his comments were taken out of context. "I wanted to encourage people to vote. I request people to take the right message and follow their duty," he told reporters.
His comments were seized by rival parties, including
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which said it would recommend that the veteran be banned for life.
Maharashtra election officers have asked to see a tape of Mr Pawar's speech.
The NCP is an ally of the Congress and co-governs Maharashtra with the party. It also participates in the UPA government at the Centre. Mr Pawar is the union minister for agriculture.