Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar’s ‘clandestine’ meeting with his nephew, rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar in Pune has disconcerted his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies — Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and the Congress — even as Mr. Sharad Pawar on Monday reiterated there was “no confusion” regarding his NCP faction having any truck with the ruling BJP.
Even as Mr. Thackeray’s Sena (UBT) sharply criticised Mr. Sharad Pawar for his repeated meetings with his nephew — four in little over a month — who split the NCP on July 2, the octogenarian NCP chief maintained the opposition MVA coalition remained united.
“The parties which have come together as the MVA have done so on basis of a common objective [to defeat the BJP]. The MVA stands united and we will successfully organise the next meeting of opposition INDIA bloc in Mumbai that will take place on August 31 and September 1. Journalists must not create confusion by repeatedly asking me where I stand,” said Mr. Sharad Pawar, speaking to reporters in his political bastion of Baramati.
