Pre-poll ties: Sharad Pawar met Modi in Delhi?

New Delhi, Jan 31: A Marathi newspaper, Loksatta, published a report on Friday which has set tongues wagging. According to

's Nationalist Congress Party chief

met Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate

in New Delhi on January 17.

The details of the meeting is not known. However the visit, which comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections is regarded as crucial. There are rumours that the duo discussed pre-poll alliances between NCP and BJP.

Sharad Pawar was quick to react to the news of the alleged visit. In his Twitter account, Pawar denied of having met with Modi. "News of my meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Jan 17 appeared in a news paper is completely mischchievous, baseless & false", tweeted Pawar.

News of my meeting with Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Jan 17 appeared in a news paper is completely mischchievous, baseless & false.

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) January 31, 2014

NCP leader Nawab Mallik too denied of the allegation. "There is no question of any alliance with BJP, " Mallik said.

NCP rubbishes the report of pre-poll ties with BJP

NCP has 19.3% vote share in Maharashtra, a Congress-ruled state. Apart from national parties, right-wing regional parties like Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also have stronghold in the state.

In 2009 general elections, the BJP came third in Maharashtra, after Congress and Shiv Sena. This time, with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party, the situation has become more complex. BJP, which is looking for a giant victory in the country, might ally with strong regional parties to floor Congress and AAP

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