Why NCP kept away from Opposition meet on demonetisation strategy

What is also interesting is that Praful Patel dismissed Rahul Gandhi's soft Hindtuva pitch in Gujarat as 'temple tourism'

When Opposition leaders met to decide their strategy on how to take on the government on the first anniversary of demonetisation, leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were missing. According to a senior NCP leader, they had not been “invited”. In the run-up to the election of the President of India, it took the combined persuasion of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury to persuade NCP chief Sharad Pawar to sign off on Opposition candidate Meira Kumar there and then. Pawar wanted to go home, think about it and sign the papers later.