As buzz of Ajit Pawar defecting to BJP grows, Sharad Pawar denies reports of schism within NCP

Even as signs pointed that all was not well within the NCP, the party’s logo as well as Sharad Pawar’s photo was missing from Ajit Pawar’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts, triggering even more speculation about the Leader of Opposition’s next move.

As the buzz around Maharashtra Leader of Opposition and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar joining the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with a section of NCP MLAs grew more intense, party chief Sharad Pawar broke his silence today, calling reports of a major schism within his party “meaningless” while remarking that the NCP was working “as one united party.”

“Ajit Pawar is busy with election-related work. All this talk [of him joining the BJP along with 40 NCP legislators] is only in the media,” said Mr. Pawar, speaking to reporters in Pune.

Also read: Amid buzz of fresh alignments in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar denies having met Amit Shah in Mumbai

Likewise, the NCP supremo denied that he had called any meeting of NCP MLAs. Mr. Pawar’s daughter, NCP MP from Baramati Supriya Sule dismissed speculation around Ajit Pawar as baseless while remarking that her cousin brother was very much the Leader of Opposition.

“This discussion is only in your (media’s) mind. This news [Mr. Pawar joining the BJP] has absolutely no importance. Someone is working to create such phoney news. This has no meaning. There has been no meeting of NCP MLAs. All I can say is that the Nationalist Congress Party and all our colleagues are working with one mind in the party with the sole objective of how to make the NCP stronger. Apart from that, there is no other thought in anyone’s mind,” said Mr. Pawar, remarking that he would be going to Mumbai tonight.

The NCP supremo further said that when he had given a firm clarification, others had no business to indulge in wild speculation on his party’s affairs.

Even as signs pointed that all was not well within the NCP, the party’s logo as well as Sharad Pawar’s photo was missing from Ajit Pawar’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts, triggering even more speculation about the Leader of Opposition’s next move.