Sharad Pawar-Ajit Pawar meeting gives rise to speculations about shift in allegiance

Mumbai: With the emergence of Opposition’s bandwagon INDIA, speculations have risen that the BJP is trying to undermine the alliance.

Following a meeting between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar late last week, it has been reported that the senior Pawar is offered the position of Union minister to leave the INDIA bloc.

However, the veteran politician has trashed claims of having been offered the position, according to NDTV.

Pawar reportedly met with his nephew at a Pune businessman’s residence weeks after Ajit Pawar quit NCP to join the Eknath Shinde-led government.

Since his leaving the party, NCP has been in the thick of tussle involving both factions to control the party.

In the midst of chaos in the party, the meeting between uncle and the nephew suggested that Shard Pawar is pressed to shift allegiance.

Pawar himself reportedly said he has no plans to tie up with the BJP, while admitting that some "well-wishers" were trying to convince him to do so.

‘I am not denying that the meeting happened, but as the head of the family, I speak to all family members. These are just rumours. There's no reality in any of these things being said,’ Pawar said.

As with the speculated offer of position in the Union cabinet, the veteran leader said ‘I am the seniormost person in the party, who will give me an offer’.

The Congress leadership and Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena are reportedly upset over the development happening between two Pawars.

Sanjay Raut of Thackeray faction of Shiva Sena called Pawar as the "Bhishma Pitamaha" of Maharashtra politics, saying that he ‘should not do anything that creates doubt in the minds of people’.

The meeting between two Pawars comes as the Opposition’s INDIA alliance is working hard to hold together parties against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The next meeting of the alliance is scheduled to take place on on August 31 in Mumbai, Pawar reportedly confirmed.