Harbour no grouse against Sonia: Pawar on end of Cong-NCP ties

NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said he had no grouse against Congress President Sonia Gandhi as she was not responsible for breaking the 15-year-old Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra.
"When I called on Sonia Gandhi to discuss fighting Maharashtra jointly she was positive about the proposal. It was decided to hold talks at the state level to sort out seat sharing issues," he told reporters here putting the blame at the doors of former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.
"I have no grouse against Sonia Gandhi. I found her undoubtedly positive about continuing the alliance. I have not even uttered the name of Rahul (Gandhi) in this regard," he said replying to questions.

When asked about the demand for a separate Vidarbha state,Pawar said, NCP had always stood for an undivided Maharashtra.
"The decision on separate statehood is not for political leaders to make. Blood was shed for creation of Maharashtra. I do not think people of Vidarbha are in favour of a separate state for themselves. However, if people of Vidrabha give a mandate in favour of separate statehood, we will honour it," NCP president added.
BJP has supported creation of a separate state for Vidarbha which is opposed by Shiv Sena.
To a question regarding Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, he said he had a good rapport with the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray but not with this present generation.

"It is a generation gap," he added.