Sharad Pawar stopped Gopinath Munde from joining Congress, says Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna

MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar had dissuaded Gopinath Munde from joining the Congress, claimed Saamna on Sunday, offering its take on Munde's fluctuating prospects in the BJP in the last few years.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the executive editor of the Sena mouthpiece, claimed in a signed article that a distraught Munde called on arch rival Sharad Pawar a few years ago. He sought advice on whether he should quit the BJP and join the Congress. "The BJP will accept all your demands. Stay in the party," Pawar told Munde, claims Raut.

The state BJP leadership is embarrassed with the debate as it brings out the factionalism in the party, sources said.

Pawar advised BJP president Rajnath Singh, when the latter called on the Maratha strongman to discuss Munde's possible defection, to stop the revolt. He argued that Munde has impeccable credentials as an OBC leader. Munde apparently said at a meeting of saffron leaders during the Lok Sabha polls that he would be grateful to Pawar for giving him the right advice, said Saamna.

Munde stayed back in the BJP, took on his detractors with determination and won the Lok Sabha election, and a berth in the Narendra Modi cabinet before his death.

The Saamna piece makes the debate on Munde's "bad days" in the BJP interesting, say observers. The row began with Pandurang Phundkar, a senior BJP MLC, saying in the state legislative council last Friday that Munde often sulked as he felt attempts were on by a section in the BJP to clip his wings after Mahajan's death in 2006. Munde was, at one point, planning to move to the Congress, which was ready to reward him with a senior cabinet post at the Centre and two MoS posts, Phundkar added.

However, Thackeray stopped Munde from defecting, the MLC said. Now, Saamna claims Pawar, too, played a key role in quelling Munde's revolt.

Phundkar's council speech has kicked a row in the BJP. "I wanted to bring out the anguish which Mundesaheb had to undergo in the party. I have tremendous respect for Mundesaheb. I spoke with a lot of emotion. There was no intention to raise a row," he said.