Difference in opinion among Oppn parties for state polls but agreement on need for Lok Sabha unity, say Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pic/Shadab Khan

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday acknowledged there are differences of opinion among opposition parties over putting up a united front in some state polls but there also a feeling that all must fight the Lok Sabha polls together, reported news agency PTI.

Addressing a press conference, Sharad Pawar said the trends of the Assembly polls (in five states set to be held in November) suggest the situation is favourable for the opposition, but added he had no authentic information to comment on whether there would be a change (in government) at the national level, reported PTI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party does not have governments in a majority of states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab, he pointed out, reported PTI.

"We have some views. A majority view (among opposition parties) suggests that everyone should come together for Parliament polls (against the BJP-led NDA). For Vidhan Sabha (Assembly polls in states), we have a difference of opinion," Sharad Pawar said.

He pointed out there are states where the Congress is an important party and so are regional outfits because of which these issues must be resolved across the table, reported PTI.

"But while doing so, it is not so easy in state polls the way it is in the Lok Sabha elections. Among our colleagues, there is definitely a feeling we have to come together for Lok Sabha polls. There is difficulty in some state elections. But for Lok Sabha, there is a feeling we should work together," said Sharad Pawar.

Pawar, a key leader of the 28-party opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I-N-D-I-A), cited the example of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which is effectively a "strong" party in West Bengal, but the Left parties or the Congress cannot be "bypassed".

Pawar said people have been urging him to expedite the work of I-N-D-I-A alliance, which means more work has to be done on it, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said there was "total confusion" in the approach of the Narendra Modi government to the Palestine issue amid the Israel-Hamas war, his comment coming after India abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution calling for immediate humanitarian truce.

(With inputs from PTI)