Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar trashes reports of being offered union minister post at meeting with nephew Ajit
Mumbai/IBNS: As strain builds within the Maharashtra opposition alliance over a meeting between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, the veteran politician has trashed claims that he has been offered a Union Minister post if he leaves the INDIA bloc and joins hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The said meeting took place at a Pune businessman's residence on Saturday, over a month after Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led government backed by the BJP. Since then, both factions have engaged in a tussle as to who will control the NCP.
The meeting sparked speculation that Ajit Pawar is trying to convince his uncle Sharad Pawar, a key face of the opposition's INDIA bloc, to shift his allegiance.
According to reports, Pawar later said some "well-wishers" were trying to convince him to tie up with the BJP, but added that he had no such plan.
Speaking on the same, Pawar Wednesday said: "There was no such discussion. I am not denying that the meeting happened, but as the head of the family, I speak to all family members. These are just rumors but there's no reality in any of these things being said."
"I am the seniormost person in the party, who will give me an offer," the veteran asked.
Earlier too, Pawar had maintained that Ajit Pawar is his nephew and it is natural for them to meet
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction got upset over Sharad Pawar's meetings with Ajit Pawar.
The Shiv Sena faction headed by Thackeray is a part of the opposition alliance in Maharashtra along with the Congress and the NCP.
While Pawar has asserted that he has no plans to join hands with the BJP, his ally is making no bones about its disapproval of the meetings.
Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut responded to Pawar's remark that there is nothing wrong with him meeting his nephew.
"Sharad Pawar is saying Ajit Pawar is his nephew and can meet him. Why are their followers fighting on the streets then?" Raut had asked.
In what appeared to be a swipe at the veteran leader, he had said, "We don't put up appearances by sitting with another party's leaders as our workers fight."
He described Pawar as the "Bhishma Pitamaha" of Maharashtra politics and said he "should not do anything that creates doubt in the minds of people".
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