On Saturday, 17th July NCP supremo Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two days ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 19. The meeting came at a time when speculation of trouble among the MVA allies having a rift. But the inner sources said the meeting was to strengthen the present government and there was no other agenda.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale urged that the NCP should join the NDA. Athawale also requested Pawar to withdraw his support from Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and instead join hands with BJP to form a government in Maharashtra.
Athawale told Afternoon Voice, “It is high time that the BJP and NCP government should come together and form a government in Maharashtra. I request Sharad Pawar Ji that he should change his decision. The support that he gave to Shiv Sena must be withdrawn. The Congress party is repeatedly warning you. Congress’ Nana Patole is repeatedly giving controversial statements against Pawar Ji. That’s why I feel that Sharad Pawar Ji should come with NDA.” He further claimed that Congress has supported Shiv Sena in Maharashtra for more than the past year because of NCP and Sharad Pawar, but, “government is not running the way it should.”
On NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik’s clarification that two parties would not come together due to ideological and political differences, Mr Athawale said, “Even Shiv Sena, Congress and BJP were on different shores on a river, but they came together. Why can’t the BJP and NCP come together? The Constitution framed by Babasaheb (Ambedkar) tries to bring different sides together.”
He also reacted to Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant’s claim that Pawar met PM Modi on farmer’s issue, and said, “Even if they talked about farmer’s issue, then too it was good. The agitation should end, and farmers should get justice. Sharad Pawar has previously said that there is no need to repeal the law but should be amended to resolve the issues of the farmers. Whatever be the conversation, Sharad Pawar’s friendship with PM Narendra Modi should remain good.”
