NCP's stand on alliance with Congress clear, rumors about talks with BJP baseless: Praful Patel

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel on Friday said that their party's stand that they are in alliance with the Congress is very clear and all the rumors about having a talk with the BJP are completely baseless.

"I believe and I say this again that the NCP's stand on this is very clear. We are in alliance with the Congress, and will continue to do so. All these rumors of our talk with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are completely baseless," said Patel.

"Neither Mr. Sharad Pawar nor myself have met Mr. Narendra modi as it has been claimed in some sections of media. This is completely wrong," he said.

He further said that it was true that the Congress had been delaying clarity on the seat alliance talks with NCP in Maharashtra.

"I have stated it very clearly that as the elections are around the corner we need to have some clarity about the seats," said Patel.

"The Congress has delayed the seat alliance talk in Maharashtra for too long, and we are awaiting clarity from the Congress. We have been saying it for months and the Congress spokespeople in Mumbai are giving contrary signals from that of Delhi's," he said.

A Marathi newspaper, Loksatta, published a report on Friday that Sharad Pawar met Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in New Delhi on January 17.

Although, Sharad pawar denied any such meeting with Modi on his twitter account, "News of my meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Jan 17 appeared in a news paper is completely mischchievous, baseless and false," Pawar had tweeted.