Sharad Pawar holds pep talks with likely defectors

Mumbai: In a clear bid to counter BJP’s attempt to poach its MLAs, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has started a one-on-one discussion with “possible faces” that could leave the NCP fold.

Party sources confirmed that Mr Pawar held such discussions with a few MLAs, trying to instill confidence in them. With constant bickering between the allies in power, BJP and Shiv Sena, BJP is looking for options beyond Sena. However, the BJP-led state government must be stable for the saffron party to ditch Sena, and it is towards this end that the party is considering poaching MLAs from other parties, including Sena. The buzz in political circles however is that around 25 to 30 MLAs from Congress and NCP are already in touch with BJP, and NCP could lose the largest chunk of its current 41 MLAs in the event of defection.

NCP sources revealed that Mr Pawar had entered the picture to quell such possibilities. “He has been talking to a few MLAs personally. He has already called one MLA from Konkan and two from Marathwada. He has assured them all possible help in the next election and in the future as well,” said a source.

Not only the NCP supremo but also his nephew Ajit Pawar is also taking possible legislators into confidence. Ajit has even hinted that if NCP MLAs crossed over at such a critical time, the doors of the party would remain closed to them forever and cited the example of NCP’s strict action against Suresh Dhas, who helped BJP in the zilla parishad elections in Beed.