Pawar won't join Third Front, says Munde

The NCP's presence at a convention sponsored by the Left parties may have created a flutter in political circles, but BJP's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde today said the Sharad Pawar-led party won't join a Third Front.
"My reading is Pawar won't be a part of a Third Front. It's just a ploy to make Congress agree to retain the old seat sharing formula in Maharashtra for Lok Sabha polls," Munde told reporters here.
Munde's remarks came in response to a query on the presence of NCP leader D P Tripathi at the 'Convention for People's Unity Against Communalism' held in New Delhi yesterday, which followed Pawar's recent statement that Rahul Gandhi lacked administrative experience.

"NCP is only posturing to extract maximum number of seats for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Congress," Munde alleged.
On NCP leader and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's remarks on punishment for rapists, Munde said, "Ajit Pawar has the habit of making such statements. Earlier, he made some remarks about media after which his uncle Sharad Pawar had to apologise on his behalf, but he did not apologise.
"Now, he has made a mockery of 'adivasis' on the issue of power cuts during the festive season. This shows that the government is insensitive to the problems of people," he said.

"The government should not disconnect power supply of defaulters not only in Gadchiroli, but in all villages in the state during Diwali," Munde said.
The NCP leader lauded Home Minister R R Patil, guardian minister of Gadchiroli, for "taking on" Ajit Pawar - who heads the energy portfolio - in yesterday's Cabinet meeting over the disconnection of power supply in the Naxal-affected district during Diwali.
"Patil raised the issue with genuine concern but Pawar taunted him. Patil should show self-respect and resign from the Cabinet," Munde said.