Rahul Gandhi Meets Sharad Pawar, Says Ready to Help If Required

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Sharad Pawar at the NCP president's residence in an apparent show of support for the veteran leader amid a rebellion in his party.

Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity with the veteran leader who is battling a rebellion in the party led by nephew Ajit Pawar and trusted lieutenant Praful Patel.

Gandhi drove to the NCP president's 6, Janpath residence and was closeted with Pawar and other NCP leaders for nearly 30 minutes.

NCP working president Supriya Sule, senior leaders P C Chacko, Jitendra Awhad Narendra Verma and Sonia Doohan were present at the meeting with Gandhi. Gandhi is the first national leader to meet Pawar after Sunday's rebellion.

Prominent opposition leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee among others had spoken to Pawar by the phone and expressed their solidarity in the time of crisis.

"Rahul Gandhi extended his support to Pawar saheb and resolved to fight BJP together," a senior NCP leader said.

Soon after Pawar addressed the media following his party's working committee meeting, Gandhi reached 6, Janpath, the official residence of the NCP veteran.

Earlier, Pawar chaired a meeting of the NCP Working Committee, which also passed a resolution asserting that it stood firmly with the united opposition and resolved to fight the BJP. "The Nationalist Congress Party stands against the undemocratic and unconstitutional actions of the BJP government and the misuse of government agencies against the Opposition," read the resolution adopted at the Working Committee meeting.