NCP junks rumours of joining hands with BJP

Hours after a tweet of former AAP leader and anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania that NCP leader Ajit Pawar is set to go with BJP created a buzz in Maharashtra politics, the Sharad Pawar-led party on Wednesday came out with a vehement denial saying that it was baseless and mischievous allegation.

Ajit Pawar, the nephew of the NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, and Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, also took a dig at Damania.

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In a tweet, Damania said: “I went to Mantralaya for some work. There a person met me and gave this piece of information…according to him, 15 MLAs are going to be disqualified and Ajit Pawar is going to go with BJP…that too very soon….let’s see…and what’s the plight of Maharashtra's politics.”

Reacting to the tweet and speculations, Pawar took a dig at Damania and said: “She is such a big leader….I am a small worker, what can I say about it.”

NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that the tweet was deliberately aimed to tarnish the image of Pawar. “Who has given her the right to speak about the Leader of Opposition,” he said, adding that the tweet was aimed to gather publicity.

According to Tapase, Pawar is working to strengthen the Maha Vikas Aghadi and efforts are being made to malign his image.

Meanwhile, Pawar called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the issue of unseasonal rains, thunderstorms and hailstorms in several parts of the state over last weekend.

Pawar requested Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to extend relief to the farmers. The meeting also addressed the announcement of a special aid package, which is expected to be released soon.