Pawar to decide on joining saffron alliance: Joshi

Nagpur, Mar 27 (UNI) Former Lok Sabha speaker and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi today said it was upto Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to decide on joining the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Joshi said Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray wanted the NCP to forgeties with the Shiv Sena.

''It would be in national interest to have an alliance between the Shiv Sena, the BJP and the NCP,'' he said.

Asked how the Shiv Sena would handle the two allies, Mr Joshi said it would not be a problem, and described the BJP and the NCP as 'roses.' When it was pointed out that Mr Pawar had responded negatively to Mr Thackeray's offer, Mr Joshi quipped,''Past record shows that Mr Pawar's 'no' is actually a 'yes'. So I remain optimistic and take his 'no' as a 'yes'. On the other hand, a 'yes' from him would have had me worried.'' The Shiv Sena's doors were also open for Raj Thackeray, who had quit the party to form his own political outfit, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), he said.

Mr Joshi said he had met senior leader and former Congressman Babasaheb Kedar at the latter's residence here this morning, and described it as 'only a courtesy call.' Asked if they had discussed politics, Mr Joshi said that it was bound to be when two politicians meet.

He, however, refused to divulge if he had sought the veteran leader's support for Prakash Jadhav, the Shiv Sena candidate contesting the April 9 by-elections from the Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency in Vidarbha. ''Mr Kedar is very wise. He understood our feelings,'' he said, adding that certain things were best kept under the wraps.

There were reports that the Shiv Sena has sought Mr Kedar's support for the by-poll as he wielded influence in the rural area of Nagpur district, which forms part of the Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency. (The constituency also includes some area of the neighbouring Amravati district.) Mr Kedar's son, Sunil Kedar, was a minister of state for a while in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government when Mr Joshi was Chief Minister. He is now a legislator supporting the Congress.

Mr Joshi was in the city today on his way to participate in the electioneering for Mr Jadhav.

BJP state unit President Nitin Gadkari, who was also present, declined to comment on the Shiv Sena's overtures towards the NCP. Mr Gadkari said the BJP would take a decision only after it received a formal proposal from the Shiv Sena on including the NCP in the saffron alliance.

UNI