Pawar may address Third Front rally on phone

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who cancelled his visit to Bhubaneshwar today to address a Third Front rally owing to "technical" problem in his aircraft, said he has asked Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik to allow him to address the public meeting on phone.  

Asked if he refused to go after Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed her displeasure over his participation in the Third Front rally, the NCP chief said: "Nobody disrespected Congress Party. Congress Party is fully aware."  

The NCP chief, however, said he requested Patnaik to allow him to address the rally over the phone. 

"If possible, I will speak over the phone also," he told NDTV.  Earlier, a party spokesperson said that "Pawar is unlikely to attend the rally as the aircraft in which he was scheduled to travel developed a technical snag".  

Pawar's decision to attend the third front rally has evoked sharp reactions from ally Congress with some senior party leaders accusing the Union minister of betrayal.

The NCP chief also said that his party was part of the UPA only in a few states like Maharashtra and Goa and not the entire country.  

"We (NCP) share alliance with the Congress Party only in Maharashtra and Goa, and one or two other States, and not in the entire country," Pawar said.  

To a question on Orissa, the NCP chief said he was not part of the Third Front in the state, but had an alliance with the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.  

"There is no front. I am not part of the Third Front (in Orissa). I have an alliance with Naveen Patnaik's party, the BJD," he said.  He further said that the rally in the evening was not a Third Front rally but a BJD one and will be addressed by Patnaik.  

The NCP supremo said he would be campaigning in Orissa for his party and the alliance partner BJD next week. "I will go to Orissa and campaign along with Patnaik."  

On the reported adverse comment of Sonia Gandhi against his alliance with the Left and BJD in Orissa, Pawar said: "When did she say that. I have not heard or seen them."