Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on May 8 expressed his belief that India needs an ‘alternative’ to the present NDA government and said he would meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during the latter’s visit to Mumbai on May 11.
Before heading to Nipani in Karnataka to hold a rally for his party’s candidate for the May 10 Assembly elections, from Solapur, Mr. Pawar confirmed his meeting with Mr. Kumar and stated, “Our outlook is that an alternative [to the NDA government] is needed in the country.”
Bordering districts of Nipani, Belagavi, and Karwar have a significant Marathi-speaking population and for the past couple of days, leaders from major political parties in Maharashtra, including Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, are campaigning in the boarding districts, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is campaigning of his alliance partner — BJP — in Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Udupi.
Further, the NCP leader said that all parties need to work together towards the same goal, including Mr. Kumar and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “Those who wish to contribute to it, be it Nitish or Mamata, in my view we all need to work together for the same,” the 82-year-old former Union Minister said.
While Mr. Pawar clarified that there were no discussions on Lok Sabha seat sharing in Maharashtra in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole said that soon a meeting would be held to discuss on the allocation of not just the Lok Sabha, but also Assembly seats for the upcoming elections.
Mr. Patole, who was also in Solapur on Monday, asserted that the Solapur Lok Sabha seat is rightfully owned by the Congress party, and believes that the party’s influence in the district will continue to rise.
“The allocation will be discussed after the Karnataka Assembly elections. There is no factionalism in the district, everyone is working unitedly. Young people are also connecting with the Congress party in large numbers and with the blessings of the people, the Congress party will again perform well in the district,” he said.
However, the NPC patriarch said that there is no point in making any claim on a particular Lok Sabha seat before discussing seat sharing formula.
