Sharad Pawar meets Kharge, Rahul Gandhi; discusses INDIA Bloc's poll strategy

New Delhi: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Khrage at the latter's residence here. The three leaders are learnt to have discussed ways to activate the opposition INDIA bloc's plans and strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.

Since the last meetings of the INDIA bloc in Mumbai and subsequent coordination committee meeting where it decided to explore seat-sharing among its partners for the Lok Sabha polls, the issue is now awaiting forward movement.


Pawar's services have also been tapped to try and work out an amicable seat-deal between the Congress and AAP in Delhi.

Since Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) already have a triangle alliance in Maharashtra, they will move on their seat-sharing talks. The increasing incidents of the central agencies' raids/arrests of opposition leaders are was a topic of discussion.

The NCP leader's Delhi engagements for two days are also being seen as his way of demonstrating his and his party's activities ahead of the EC hearing where Pawar is facing a challenge to save the NCP and its symbol from the claim made by the rebel NCP faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar.

Whether the INDIA bloc leaders should hold yet another meeting is also an issue under consideration given some allies, including the Trinamool Congress, had earlier offered to host it. However, some leaders are of the view that instead the coordination committee could explore pending agendas like seat-sharing exercise, holding joint rallies of the bloc leaders.