Differences among INDIA allies in some states, to be resolved: Sharad Pawar

Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said there are differences among some of the opposition INDIA bloc parties in a couple of states over issues including seat-sharing which senior leaders from other states would try to resolve.

Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur, the senior politician said a meeting of the INDIA alliance, formed by several opposition parties to take on the ruling BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, has not been convened of late.

A decision was taken earlier that all the parties of the opposition bloc will work together, he said.

"But majority of the parties in the alliance are limited to their states, so it was decided that all these parties will sit with other allied parties in their respective states and that process is going on," Pawar said.

He noted there are differences among some the opposition alliance parties in a couple of states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

"In Uttar Pradesh, there is an absence of a common understanding over the seat-sharing formula. The other state is West Bengal, where there are some more problems, and the reason is that some parties such as the TMC, CPI(M) and Congress are traditionally opposed to each other," he said.

Such issues have not been handled so far, the NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar party chief said.

"Our strategy is that wherever it is possible, we are addressing the issues, and wherever there are differences, like the states I have mentioned, senior leaders, especially from outside that state, sit and address these issues and that process will start soon," he said.