I will always remain with NCP: Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday denied reports claiming he had the backing of a section of his party MLAs in his rumoured bid to switch over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a press briefing, Ajit Pawar said, "I will always remain with the NCP and the speculations being spread about me are false."

Ajit Pawar further blamed the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government for the heatwave deaths during the Maharashtra Bhushan Award event in Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai.

Also Read: No meeting of NCP MLAs called: Sharad Pawar

Speaking with the media, Ajit Pawar said, "I want to make it clear that as a leader of opposition, I will continue to fight and will back Maha Vikas Aghadi. We will continue to raise issues of farmers and their losses due to unseasonal rains."

Earlier, in a tweet, on Monday, Ajit Pawar issued a stout denial of the news reports, saying, "There are some media reports saying that I have convened a meeting of the (NCP) MLAs on Tuesday. This is completely false. I wish to clarify that I have not called a meeting of my party MLAs and office bearers."

Meanwhile, speaking to the reporters in Purandar area of Maharashtra's Pune district, Sharad Pawar said whatever discussions are going on in the minds of the media are not there in "our minds", the PTI reported.

"...There is no importance of all these discussions. The reports have no meaning. I can say about NCP that all our colleagues are of one thinking of how to make the party stronger, and there is no other thought in anybody's mind," the party chief said.

Sharad Pawar, whose party is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which also comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, dismissed reports of a meeting of NCP MLAs being called in Mumbai and said no one has called such a meeting.

(with PTI inputs)