Sharad Pawar review meeting with NCP leaders continues for Day 2 in Mumbai

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday continued his meeting with party leaders on the second day in Mumbai.

Supriya Sule and other party leaders were seen arriving for the meeting at the party's office here to review the NCP's preparations for the Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra ahead of the 2024 Parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, Pawar's statement on Israel-Palestine conflict has stirred a debate between BJP and the NCP.

On October 15 while addressing a public gathering of party workers in Mumbai, the NCP chief said that while all former Prime Ministers of India have taken a firm stand supporting Palestine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The NCP leader's statement had come under flak from Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Expressing his dismay at Pawar's remarks and emphasising the need to condemn terrorism worldwide, Goyal pointed out that Pawar had held prominent positions in the government during critical security incidents.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave a bizarre response to Sharad Pawar's comment and said it seems like the NCP chief will send his daughter Supriya Sule to Gaza to fight for Hamas.

Sule in her response said that Himanta Biswa Sarma and she share the "same DNA" but the "BJP trait of disrespecting women has rubbed off on him."

"He is originally from Congress. He and I share the same Congress DNA...You know how the BJP is disrespectful towards women. But I had hopes from Himanta Biswa Sarma. I am surprised how this change has happened towards women and the approach, probably going into BJP is a little rubbing off on him...BJP IT cell needs to understand and hear carefully what Sharad Pawar has said. Hear his entire statement..." the Lok Sabha MP said.

Meanwhile, both the rival factions of the NCP had on Wednesday opened separate factions in the national capital as it had to vacate its headquarters after the party lost its national status.Maharashtra deputy chief minster Ajit Pawar who heads the Pawar faction of the NCP had inaugurated its new office at North Avenue in the national capital while the Sharad Pawar-led faction had opened its central office at the Lodhi estate.