'I am with NCP': Ajit Pawar dismisses reports linking him to BJP

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday dismissed media reports claiming he had the backing of a section of his party MLAs in his rumoured bid to switch over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"There is no truth to any rumour. I am with the NCP and I will stay with the NCP," Ajit Pawar told reporters.

Rumours about Ajit Pawar's next political move started doing rounds when he suddenly cancelled his scheduled meetings and also made comments which were seen as being soft on the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday added grist to the rumour mill claiming Sharad Pawar recently told Uddhav Thackeray that his party will never join hands with the BJP even if anyone takes an individual decision to do so.

Dismissing the speculations, Sharad Pawar said whatever discussions are going on in the minds of the media are not there in "our minds". "...There is no importance of all these discussions. The reports have no meaning. Somebody is trying to create news. I can say about NCP that all our colleagues are of one thinking of how to make the party stronger, and there is no other thought in anybody's mind," the NCP chief said.

"I read in the newspapers about the meeting of (NCP) MLAs. But, it is 100 per cent true that there is no such meeting (taking place), and no one has called such a meeting," Pawar was quoted saying by news agency PTI.

"The party's state president (Jayant Patil) is busy with market committee elections in his region, and another party leader, Ajit Pawar, is also busy with the work of the party and providing guidance to everyone," he added.

The NCP chief said after his clarification, the media has no right to drag the issue. He was responding to queries from mediapersons on reports speculating about Ajit Pawar and the party MLAs going with him. Sharad Pawar also said after his programmes in Pune, he will head to Mumbai.

with agency inputs