No central party in Opposition to win 150 seats in Lok Sabha: Praful Patel

New Delhi: Praful Patel, who joined rebels led by Ajit Pawar in Maharasthra, said that there is no central party in the Opposition capable of getting 150 seats in Lok Sabha polls.

Patel, who was earlier a staunch supporter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, questioned the Congress’s capability in leading the Opposition, according to NDTV.

In an interview with the news outlet, Patel said if there is no single party with 150 seats there is little chance to form a coalition, adding that he was measuring the scenario with a ‘reasonable yardsticks’, because nothing is impossible in politics.

‘Unless you have a big party -- do you find any party that will 150 seats next time? Of course, nothing is impossible in politics but I'm just saying by a reasonable yardstick you measure, no party is going to have 150 seats. And if you don't have 150 seats, a central party, then you can't form a coalition around that number’, Patel was quoted as saying.

He touched upon the leadership vacuum in the opposition saying that as there are so many parties one will accept another party’s leader.

Interestingly, Patel, who had last month attended the meeting for Opposition unity, said he went to the meeting not because it was inspiring to see ‘a formidable Opposition’ that will counter the BJP in 2024.

He said that the discussion to join BJP camp came only last week and added that there was a longstanding demand among NCP leader to switch sides.

‘In NCP, even in 2022, when the MVA government was on verge of collapse, there was a strong conversation… our MLAs wanted to have an alliance with the BJP that time,’ he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile NCP leadership, still reeling from the shock of Ajit Pawar’s desertion, questioned motives of the former colleagues who changed parties.

NCP MLA and grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar wondered why Ajit Pawar who had chance to become chief minister, crossed over the rebel camp, NDTV reported.