Antulay who is a known Pawar-baiter told The Financial Express that formation of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will not hamper the Congress-I's electoral prospects in Maharashtra where the party along with the Republican Party of India (RPI-Ambedkar) is in fight with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. A former chief minister said that the masses are with the Congress party.

Antulay who has changed his home constituency, Kulaba to contest the coming Lok Sabha polls from Aurangabad has been pitted against the Shiv Sena candidate and the environment and forest minister Chandrakant Khaire and the NCP's Baburao Pawar. Antulay during his election campaign told his correspondent that Pawar was never acceptable to the Muslims and alleged that "Congress-I'ssecular credentials were questioned in the presence of Pawar," However, with Pawar forming a new party, the Congress-I under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi has won the confidence of the Muslims, Dalits and other backward classes.

Antulay who was one of the members of anti-Pawar group which had staged an unsuccessful coup in January 1991 against Pawar, pooh-poohed the latter's talk on the nation and self pride while challenging the credentials of Sonia Gandhi for becoming the prime minister on the issue of foreign birth. "Pawar and Maharashtra's pride can not go together. Pawar has already reached a tacit understanding with the BJP, and thus has raised this issue with a view to achieving his ambition and nothing else,"he alleged.

Antulay in a frontal attack said that Pawar has nominated weak candidates especially in the BJP constituencies in the state as per the understanding between two. He claimed that BJP has promised him a deputy prime ministership and added that both the parties have also reached atan agreement to finish the rival regional parties in all over the country.Antulay said that whenever the Congress-I in Maharashtra had faced elections under the leadership of Pawar, it had lost miserably. During the 1995 assembly elections, the Congress-I was routed totally when Pawar was the state chief minister. "Pawar gimmick will not work any wonders in the coming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state." he added.

Antulay said that there has been a wave in favour of Congress-I and Sonia Gandhi in particular and added that it would stage a come back both at the central and state level. "Sonia's foreign born issue is a non-issue as the people are interested in a stable government which the Congress-I can give," he opined.

Antulay said that there has been a parallel between the year 1980 and 1999 as the situation is developing in favour of the Congress-I. "In the post emergency period, the people wholeheartedly supported the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and in a similar zeal, the voters aresupporting the party led by Sonia this time." he opined. On the BJP's "hidden" agenda, Antulay said that the ruling party was involved in a double speak as it was stuck to the construction of the Ram temple, abrogation of Article 370 and the Uniform Civil code. He alleged that the BJP-led government has failed miserably on all fronts.

On his contest in Aurangabad, he expressed confidence and said that he has a better prospects of victory in a triangular lift. He brushed aside allegations levelled by his rivals of being an outsider and said that he feels no difference as he was always committed for the uplift of poor and downtrodden who are supporting him fully.