Sharad Pawar 'long-time' aide Tariq Anwar joins Congress

New Delhi: Nearly a month after quitting the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Tariq Anwar joined the Congress on Saturday after a meeting with party president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

Anwar along with his supporters met Gandhi at his Tughlaq Lane residence and was welcomed into the party fold, PTI reported.

According to sources, the former MP from Katihar Lok Sabha constituency would make a formal announcement of his joining the Congress party later in the day.

On September 28, Anwar resigned from the Lok Sabha and his party, citing NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s stand on the Rafale deal with France.

Anwar who was the NCP’s only Lok Sabha member in Bihar said that he was upset with Pawar’s statement on the deal when the entire opposition had united to demand a probe into the deal.

A former president of Congress’ Bihar unit, Anwar formed the NCP in 1990s along with Pawar and late PA Sangma.

(with PTI inputs)