Gopinath Munde rules out support from NCP to form government

MUMBAI: Confident of getting majority to form government at the Centre, BJP today ruled out the possibility of taking support from NCP.

"There is no possibility of NCP coming with NDA. We will not feel their need," senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said, responding to a query on whether NDA will take support of the Sharad Pawar-led outfit. Munde, alongwith other senior leaders from the state, today assessed the party's performance in 24 seats it contested in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

"This time our alliance (Mahayuti--alliance of five parties) will win more than 35 seats in Maharashtra. We have got this report from our party workers," he claimed.

Stressing that he would take the responsibility entrusted to him by the next prime minister and by his party, if NDA formed the government, he said, "Ministry should not be sought, it is the right of the PM to allocate the berth. Our PM will take the decision on my role." Stating that there will be a Muslim minister at the Centre, the BJP leader, who contested the LS election from Beed, said he would recommend the name of Shahnawaz Hussain to the party.

He said he had asked his partymen to start preparations for the state Assembly polls slated later this year. "We will be fighting next elections (Assembly) under the banner of Mahayuti. There will be a joint coordination committee meeting of our alliance partners in the state after the Lok Sabha results are declared," Munde said.

Taking a dig at the Congress-led Democratic Front government (in Maharashtra), he alleged that as many as 182 files of builders were cleared for monetary returns.

"The money was transferred to Delhi for election purpose," he alleged. "Government should show us the list of the builders whose files were cleared and explain why it cleared them," he demanded.