Ajit Pawar: MNS should join Opposition alliance to defeat Modi govt

Mumbai: Barely days after NCP chief Sharad Pawar made it clear that his party will not fight the Lok Sabha polls along with the MNS, his nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar Tuesday took a completely different stand about relations with the Raj Thackeray-led party. The MNS should join the Opposition alliance to defeat the Modi government in the LS polls, he said.

“To prevent the division of Opposition votes, the MNS should join hands with the Opposition in the forthcoming elections. With an aim to defeat the BJP-Shiv Sena, parties with a secular mindset should come together. The MNS had polled lakhs of votes in the last elections. Hence, I personally feel that all Opposition parties should forget the past and come together to prevent the division of votes,” said Ajit Pawar.

No party leaves a seat where it has a sitting MP. However, we can consider leaving other seats. Hence, one should not stretch too much for one or two seats, he added.

The former deputy chief minister indicated that the BJP and Sena would form an alliance for the LS polls. “They are just applying pressure tactics to increase their bargaining power, but the BJP and Sena will definitely come together. The only issue left for them is to finalise the seat-sharing formula,” he said.

The former deputy chief minister also indicated taking help from Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader and MP Raju Shetti. “If there are any misunderstandings, I have informed the party leaders to resolve them at the earliest,” he said.

However, Mr Shetti told The Asian Age that no discussion had been held with the Opposition leaders about forming an alliance. “We had started out preparations to fight nine Lok Sabha polls independently long back. But we are fully aware that we have to forego some of the seats if the alliance takes place,” he said.