Deshpande denies Pawar link to failed IPL bid

City Corporation's Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande today denied Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar or his family's involvement in a failed bid for the Pune IPL team, insisting that he acted in individual capacity.

The Pawar family has a 16 per cent equity in City Corporation but Deshpande said the company's Board was not interested in bidding for the team and he went ahead on his own.

"They (the Pawars) have stake (in the company) from 2004. They were with us ever since the inception of the company. Directors and shareholders said 'you bid in your individual capacity'.

"My decision (to bid) was based on the fact that Pune was building a world class cricketing facility and if Pune doesn't get a team, the facility will be under utilised. The MCA (Maharashtra Cricket Association) is the best cricket association. It was the best option with the Pune team to go with the MCA," he said.
    
Deshpande conceded that the company's name was used while bidding but claimed that he told the IPL authorities that it would not be used once the bid was won.
    
"Because I had got the tender and by that time the date of buying the tenders was finished. So even before the IPL, the commissioner was present there when the documents were opened. We had given a letter saying that the consortium will be formed post-bidding if we were successful in a different name," he said.