Sharad Pawar Addresses 'Secret' Meeting Controversy, Emphasizes Family Bonds

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party will not go with the BJP though some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him. Addressing reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra, Pawar said any association with BJP doesn't fit into NCP's political policy.

 As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy, he said.

Pawar revealed that some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him but he will never align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Some of us (Ajit Pawar-led NCP group) have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us,  he said without taking names.

Queried about his 'secret' meeting in Pune on Saturday with his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, the senior Pawar said, I want to tell you a fact that he is my nephew. What is wrong with meeting my nephew? If a senior person in a family desires to meet another family member, there should not be any issue with that.

The NCP chief also said that people will hand over the reins of the state to Maha Vikas Aghadi- comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar group), and Congress.

Notably, the Pawar senior shared the dais with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur district to unveil the statue of late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, while eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.