They trying to persuade me, but will never join hands with BJP: NCP supremo Sharad Pawar day after meeting Ajit

Sharad Pawar met his nephew Ajit Pawar in Pune on Saturday triggering speculations on Maharashtra political circle. However, the 82-year-old Rajya Sabha member said that his meeting with Ajit was not secret.

Solapur (Maharashtra): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that his meeting with his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune was "not secret" even as he asserted that he would never join hands with the BJP.

"As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy", he said at Sangola. Pawar also revealed that some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him, but he will never align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Some of us (Ajit Pawar-led NCP group) have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us," he said without taking names.

The 82-year-old Sharad Pawar met Ajit Pawar, who had orchestrated a coup in the NCP on July 2 by joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena BJP Maharashtra government, in Pune. Maharashtra NCP (Sharad Pawar camp) president Jayant Patil and real-estate developer Atul Chordia were also present at the meeting.

"My meeting with Ajit Pawar (was) not secret. He is my nephew and I am the senior-most member of the family," quipped Sharad Pawar. Following his rebellion, Ajit Pawar had also called on Sharad Pawar, former Union Defence Minister, at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai along with now-sacked NCP leader Praful Patel and all the eight now-sacked NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil, who were sworn in as Maharashtra government.

Ajit Pawar was in Pune on Saturday for the inauguration of the flyover at the National Defence Academy square while the senior Pawar was also in Pune for a meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute. It was understood that Ajit Pawar once again sought the blessings of his uncle during their meeting in Pune. Sources said that Ajit Pawar asked Sharad Pawar to join his camp, a demand which was outrightly rejected by the former Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Sharad Pawar is currently sharing a stage with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis at a programme at Sangola in the Solapur district in memory of former MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh.