Sharad Pawar’s BIG claim ahead of 2024 polls: ‘Mamata Banerjee READY to BURY all differences with Congress’

Sharad Pawar on the anti-BJP front for 2024 polls: NCP chief has said that Mamata Bannerjee had personally said that her party is ready to come together in the national interests and work with Congress to put up a proper challenge before the ruling BJP.

Mumbai: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee is ready to bury her differences with the Congress in the national interests, and come together to form an alliance of opposition parties ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Speaking to reporters here, Pawar also said he and some leaders from other states, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdulla were not averse to join hands with the Congress to form a front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the next polls.

Replying to a query about the TMC supremo's alleged differences with the Congress after it independently contested elections in West Bengal, Pawar said, "Mamata Bannerjee had personally said that her party is ready to come together in the national interests and work with Congress to put up a proper challenge before the ruling BJP."

According to the former Union minister, Banerjee has also said that she was ready to forget her experience with the Congress in the West Bengal state elections. During the West Bengal elections, the TMC felt that the Congress and CPI(M) alliance helped the BJP to win more seats in the state, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said.

"The rank and file of the TMC was highly disappointed with the Congress after the West Bengal elections, but the party chief amended her stand," he said.

The TMC had clinched a landslide victory in the West Bengal elections in May last year. Elaborating on his discussion with Nitish Kumar and Farooq Abdullah about providing a political alternative at the national level, he said, "Our detailed discussion was about enhancing cooperation and support among the like-minded parties. There are many parties that are of the opinion of counting in Congress to offer an alternative to the current BJP-led dispensation."

Patra 'Chawl' case: 'Ready for any probe' in Patra 'Chawl' case, says Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said that he was "always ready" for any kind of inquiry after the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet in the Patra 'Chawl' redevelopment case involving Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

Addressing reporters here, Pawar also said filing cases and arresting Opposition leaders seem to be the flagship project of the Centre. “I am always ready for any kind of inquiry. All I want to know is that if the allegations levelled against me prove to be baseless, then what action will be taken against the party leaders who unleashed such charges against me at the outset" he asked.