BJP will be ousted from power: Sharad Pawar on elections in five states

Sharad Pawar. Pic/Shadab Khan

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday claimed that the BJP will be ousted from power in the assembly elections being held in five states. Of the states where polling will be held on Friday, the BJP is the ruling party only in Madhya Pradesh, reported news agency PTI.

"Wherever the BJP is in power, you will see a non-BJP chief minister after the elections," Sharad Pawar said, speaking to reporters at Solapur in Maharashtra, reported PTI.

Besides Madhya Pradesh, assembly elections are being held in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram.

Pawar also remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was campaigning with the wrong approach in these elections, reported PTI.

"His party's confidence level has gone down and the people will not fall for their false promises any longer," the NCP chief added, reported PTI.

On Amalner MLA Anil Patil's statement that Sharad Pawar and his nephew, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will come together again after the coming winter session of the state legislature, Pawar senior said, "I met a few people from Amalner, and they told me that Anil Patil (who belongs to Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP) will not be elected in the next elections."

But the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) would soon discuss seat-sharing, he said, reported PTI.

Talking about the Maratha reservation issue, Pawar said the state and central governments have the authority to make the final decision and they should resolve the issue soon, reported PTI.

Asked about the Pawar family get-together in Baramati which Ajit Pawar attended, the NCP chief said celebrating Diwali together was a family tradition, and no politics was discussed during the meeting, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, amid political rift, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday celebrated 'Bhau Beej' (Bhai Dooj) at Baramati in Pune district.

Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, their sons Parth Pawar and Jay Pawar along with other members of the Pawar family gathered at the deputy Chief Minister's home in the Katewadi area of Baramati.

Every year, members of the Pawar family come together during Diwali to celebrate Bhai Dooj or Bhau Beej in Baramati.

Later, Supriya Sule shared a video of the gathering on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Bhau Beej is a festival that strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters."

(With inputs from PTI)