Ajit Pawar attacks Patil for statements on Oppn MLAs joining

Senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar Saturday accused newly-appointed BJP state president Chandrakant Patil of creating an "atmosphere of doubt" with some of his statements.

Patil had recently said some MLAs of the Congress and NCP were likely to join the ruling BJP in the next few days.

"By making such statements, he is trying to create an atmosphere of doubt so that misunderstanding is created among people about their representatives (MLA). I request that such atmosphere should not be created," he said.

"Dada (Patil) has become habitual of making such statements that can become news. By reading such news, common people tend to feel what their representative (MLA) will do now," Pawar said.

On a question on the post of chief minister after the state Assembly polls slated for later this year, the NCP leader said it would go to the party which manages to get 145 seats in the 288-member House.

He slammed the Shiv Sena, part of the ruling alliance in the state and Centre, for carrying out a protest march against crop insurance firms.

"This is the dual stand of the Shiv Sena. You are in power and you are still protesting," he said.

Speaking about notices issued by Election Commission to various parties, including the NCP, over national party status, Pawar said they are in the process of sending replies.

He hit out at the BJP-led government in the state and Centre for incidents of mob-lynching, and said the "chief of the country" (Prime Minister) should take a bold stand against them and make it clear that they won't be tolerated.