BJP-NCP Alliance Not Possible, Sharad Pawar Told PM Narendra Modi In 2019, Claims Book

In his autobiography, Pawar admitted that there were informal talks between some NCP and BJP leaders after the 2019 assembly polls in Maharashtra.

Mumbai: Sharad Pawar’s revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Sangati', which focuses on events post-2015, has revealed that the former had made it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 that there can be no truck with BJP. The book, which was released recently, revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party was keen on a post-poll alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2019, but Sharad Pawar was against it.

In his book, Pawar also admitted that there were informal talks between some NCP and BJP leaders after the 2019 assembly polls in Maharashtra when there was uncertainty over government formation.

“The BJP started exploring whether there could be any possibility of an alliance with the NCP, but I was not involved in the process. This was only BJP's desire and there were no formal talks with the BJP. But there were informal talks between select leaders from the two parties,” Pawar wrote.

The Maratha strongman said since the NCP had little interest, it decided not to go with the BJP. It was necessary to state this very clearly to the BJP. Accordingly, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the winter session of Parliament in November 2019, Pawar wrote in the book.

The NCP leader met PM Modi on November 20, 2019, and apprised him of farmers' distress in Maharashtra when President's rule was imposed in the state. Pawar then had refused to comment on what transpired between him and Modi as there was uncertainty over government formation in the state and the NCP, undivided Shiv Sena and Congress were in talks of an alliance.

“I met PM Modi and told him very clearly that there could be no political truck between us (BJP and NCP). But while I was saying this, it has to be noted that there was a section of leaders in the party who wanted ties with the BJP,” Pawar said in his book.

Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar broke ranks and took oath as deputy chief minister in the short-lived Devendra Fadnavis government. During the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee too, the BJP wanted an alliance with the NCP which was in its nascent stages, Pawar claimed.

Even in 2014, there were attempts by the BJP to have NCP in its camp, Pawar added. The BJP was the single largest party in the state after the 2014 assembly polls but fell short of a majority. The Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress and NCP had contested separately in assembly polls.

“I was not present during the 2014 talks with the BJP, but I was aware of it. But suddenly, the BJP mended its ties with the Shiv Sena which even became part of the government. With this our leaders realised that it was not appropriate to trust the BJP,” Pawar said.

Springing a surprise, Pawar on Tuesday announced at the book release that he would be stepping down as chief of the NCP, the political outfit he founded and helmed since 1999.