"No Politics Discussed": Sharad Pawar After Meeting Uddhav Thackeray

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said his recent meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was to deliberate on how to expedite the state government's development programmes.

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar today said his recent meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray focused on how to expedite development programmes of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and maintained nothing else should be deciphered from it. Mr Pawar said: "No politics was discussed. Our view is that some decisions need to be taken fast. My meeting with the Chief minister was to deliberate on how to expedite the state government's development programmes. There was no political discussion." The NCP leader, whose party is a key constituent in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, had called on Thackeray here two days ago amid speculation in political circles about differences among the ruling coalition partners. The Congress is the third partner in the MVA, a coalition of parties which have different ideologies. The 80-year-old former Union agriculture minister refused to respond to questions on speculation that there was pressure on the NCP to withdraw from the MVA and that several firms belonging the Pawar family were being served notices by the ED.