“Alliance wasn't discussed within the meeting (Rashtra Manch meeting) but if an alternate force is to be raised, it'll be done only by taking Congress together. we'd like power like that and that i had said this therein meeting,” ANI said quoting Pawar.
A collection of opposition parties referred to as the ‘Rashtra Manch’ met at Pawar’s Delhi residence on June 22. The meeting which lasted over two hours was attended by Omar Abdullah from National Conference, Samajwadi Party's (SP) Ghanshyam Tiwari, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary, Sushil Gupta from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Binoy Viswam from the Communist Party of India (CPI), Nilotpal Basu from CPI(M) and Sinha. Also present were Javed Akhtar, Retired Justice AP Shah, and ambassador KP Singh. Pawar’s statements on alliance comes after reports emerged of Congress’s absence from the June 22 meeting.
The meeting attracted much attention and media coverage but NCP leaders dismissed the speculations surrounding the meetings as "over-hyped and highly speculative", reported PTI. "It wasn't an anti-BJP political front meeting called by Sharad Pawar. it had been a gathering of Rashtriya Manch held at his residence. Like-minded individuals or people with an equivalent ideology attended the meeting and there have been several apolitical personalities present within the meeting," NCP leader Majid Menon told PTI.
Pawar, whose party is a component of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra along side Congress and Shiv Sena, also skilled Congress leader Nana Patole’s claims of fighting future elections within the state alone. Every party has the proper to expand itself. to extend the energy of our party workers we also make such statements. Similarly, if Congress says something like that (to fight next elections alone) we welcome it because it's their right (to expand their party),” he said in response.
