Cong to take up Pawars' meeting at INDIA conclave

August 17, 2023 01:03

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Wednesday said the party's top brass will discuss with Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar his controversial meeting with politically estranged nephew and state deputy CM Ajit Pawar when the Opposition alliance against BJP -- INDIA -- holds its conclave in Mumbai later this month.

Talking to reporters after a core committee meeting of the state Congress, Patole said there was no confusion in his party about senior Pawar, who is part of the anti-BJP alliance, but confusion prevails among people.

Patole said two representatives of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were part of the MPCC core committee meeting during which discussions took place on preparations for the conclave of INDIA, to be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.

"Sharad Pawar has a different party. There is no confusion about Pawar sahab's (commitment towards the INDIA) in the Congress," he said.

Patole rejected speculation that a 'Plan 'B' was in place wherein the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha polls together if the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) aligns with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said the Congress's target is to defeat the BJP and its wants to take onboard those who will help in achieving that goal.

"Sharad Pawar is capable of taking his decisions. Our high command, during the INDIA alliance meeting, will discuss this (meeting with Ajit) with Sharad Pawar because he is a senior leader," Patole said when asked about the uncle-nephew hush hush huddle in Pune last week.

The meeting between the NCP patriarch and party rebel Ajit Pawar on August 12 at businessman Atul Chordiya's residence in Pune had sent political circles abuzz with speculation.

The meeting did not go down well with the Congress and the Shiv Sena group led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray. -- PTI

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