Sharad Pawar Dismisses Defection Buzz, Asserts Party Unity
Sharad Pawar’s daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule too rejected claims that some MPs from the Sharad Pawar-led faction were preparing to switch sides. All eight MPs of the NCP (SP) are with the party, she said.
Mumbai: Asserting unity in his unit, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has dismissed rumours of an impending rebellion within his party ranks. “Not a single one of our MPs will leave,” he said on Thursday.
“There is no basis to the speculation that MPs are going to defect. Not a single one of our MPs will leave the party,” said Pawar in Baramati.
His remarks came on the backdrop of NCP MLA Dharmarao Atram’s claim that five of the eight MPs of Sharad Pawar’s party were ready to cross over to the NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar by December. Last week, six of the nine MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) had joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
While responding to all this speculation, Pawar stated that there was no unease among the MPs of his party. He reiterated that all the party’s MPs stand united with the party.
Sharad Pawar’s daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule too rejected claims that some MPs from the Sharad Pawar-led faction were preparing to switch sides. All eight MPs of the NCP (SP) are with the party, she said.
“Atram might be knowing more. I do not have any idea. We eight MPs were united yesterday, are united today and will remain united tomorrow. If Baba Atram has a list of five MPs, he should disclose the names,” she said.
“Give us the five names you claim are leaving. If you can’t, stop the rumours. Or better yet, invite us – all eight of our remaining MPs will show up together. Why don’t they ever dare to invite me to these discussions?” Sule asked.
Talking about the absence of 13 MLAs from a recent MVA meeting, Sule said the legislators had informed state party president Shashikant Shinde in advance and denied any internal differences.