Ajit Pawar is making an attempt to poach MPs of the NCP(SP) led by Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged on Friday. His statement comes a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit met the senior Pawar in New Delhi.
According to Raut, the BJP has directed Ajit to break NCP(SP). “Ajit Pawar has been told to rope in at least five to six MPs of the NCP led by Sharad Pawar. Ajit has been told that if he wants any of his leaders to be accommodated in the central ministry, he will have to break Sharad Pawar,” Raut alleged.
The Sena (UBT) leader’s statement comes two days after BJP spokesperson Pravin Darekar hinted that a few MPs of Sharad Pawar’s party are in touch with the BJP and are likely to switch over to the Mahayuti. Darekar claimed the MPs were worried as Mahayuti candidates won most of the Assembly seats in their Parliamentary constituencies.
Raut said no matter what the BJP was up to, Sharad Pawar will never join hands with the saffron party. ”Sharad Pawar is a secular leader. He will never join hands with a party that seeks to divide the people of this country in the name of religion,” he said.
In the recent Assembly elections, NCP(SP) managed to win only 10 seats in sharp contrast to its performance in the Lok Sabha polls where it had emerged as the top party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
On Thursday, when Ajit met Sharad Pawar, he told reporters that they discussed various issues including the vandalism in Parbhani, Cabinet expansion, and the functioning of the Parliament. NCP state president Sunil Tatkare, meanwhile, said there was no discussion regarding a reunion. “Don’t go on that subject… We met Sharad Pawar to whole-heartedly wish him on his birthday,” he said.
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