NCP crisis: Congress leaders meet Sharad Pawar, say MVA stands united

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra will launch a statewide tour to galvanise cadres to fight against the Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena-BJP government.

This was decided after Congress leaders met NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday in Mumbai to express solidarity with him amid the crisis in his party.

The NCP is in churn after senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister along with eight MLAs who took oath as ministers. The Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of 40 out of 53 MLAs of Nationalist Congress Party.


After attending the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here, state Congress president Nana Patole and working president Naseem Khan went to YB Chavan Centre to meet Sharad Pawar.

"Congress condemns the manner in which the BJP engineered a split in the NCP legislature party. The MVA will stay united and defeat the BJP," Patole told reporters after meeting the NCP chief.

Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the MVA will emerge stronger in view of the current crisis as people are with us.

"The Congress stands united. Sharad Pawar is a senior leader and all of us look to him for guidance," he said.

Naseem Khan said the MVA will soon launch a state-wide tour to galvanise its cadres to fight against the Eknath Shinde-BJP government.

He said Congress expressed solidarity with Pawar and resolved to work unitedly.

NCP spokesperson said Sharad Pawar will be on a tour of Nashik on July 8.