SOLAPUR: Making his stand clear on joining Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that his party will not go with the BJP as its ideology does not fit in NCP’s political framework. “As national president of NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology does not fit in NCP’s political framework,” Sharad Pawar said while talking to the reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Pawar further said that some “well-wishers” are trying to persuade him to join the BJP. “Some of us have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our minds. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us,” he said without taking names.
Recently, Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar along with eight Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs, switched over to the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)-led Maharashtra government. Ajit Pawar later claimed of having support from several MLAs of NCP. Pawar was then sworn in as a Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Maharashtra’s other Deputy Chief Minister is BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis.
On being asked about the ‘secret meeting’ with Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar said how the meeting became a secret one while it was held at someone’s residence. “What is wrong with meeting my nephew? How it can become secret when it was held at someone’s residence. I was there at his residence,” he added.
However, reacting to PM Modi’s remark that he would have been the PM very much earlier, Sharad Pawar said, “It is his opinion. I know I will not get anything to go there (BJP).”
Talking about the next Opposition meeting in Mumbai, Pawar said that more than 40 leaders will be participating in the meeting. “Uddhav Thackeray, Nana Patole and I myself have organised the meeting. We will discuss further strategies for the INDIA alliance. On 31 August, we will finalise the primary agenda in a meeting after that, on September 1, the formal meeting will take place,” the NCP chief said.
