No confusion within MVA: Sharad Pawar

Baramati (Maharashtra) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday said there is no confusion within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance over his meeting with nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune.

“The MVA is united and we will successfully organise the next meeting of opposition bloc INDIA in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1,” Sharad Pawar told reporters in Baramati.

This was the 82-year-old veteran politician's maiden visit to his home turf after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-led government on July 2. MVA constituents Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) had asked the NCP chief to clear the confusion such meetings between the uncle and nephew create in political circles. “There is no confusion among MVA partners. We are all together and will ensure the INDIA meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 is organised successfully,” Sharad Pawar said. He asked media not to create more confusion by asking the same question. “Myself, Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress president Nana Patole have taken the responsibility of organising the INDIA meeting in Mumbai,” Sharad Pawar said.

The meeting will be held at a luxury hotel. The NCP has no association with "factions from MVA" which align with the BJP at the state and national and level, he said, alluding to the move by his nephew. Sharad Pawar sidestepped a question on an editorial in Monday's issue of Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' expressing displeasure over the “frequent meetings” between him and Ajit Pawar.

Asked about rumours that Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil may join hands with the BJP and also whether there was a discussion about him during a meeting with Ajit Pawar in Pune, the NCP president said no such discussion took place. "I heard Jayant Patil's brother received a notice (of ED). Such steps are being taken by misusing the power. Some of our colleagues received notices, and then they went with the BJP and a similar attempt is being made in the case of Jayant Patil, but I am sure his stand regarding the ideology is clear," he said.

To a query on the monsoon session of Parliament which concluded last week, Sharad Pawar said one of the most important issues was of strife-torn Manipur.