'Will Welcome Ajit Pawar If He's Willing To Join Us': Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant

Ajit Pawar refuted such speculations as "baseless," and denied that he had scheduled any meeting of MLAs for Tuesday.

Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Smanat on Monday stated that the ruling BJP-Sena coalition is ready to welcome Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, news agency ANI reported. The comment comes amid rumours that the NCP leader may join forces with the BJP in the state. According to some accounts, Ajit Pawar's postponement of various programmes, as well as his inability to be reached on the phone, fueled curiosity about his next action last Friday

"We will welcome Ajit Pawar if he's willing to join us, he has good experience, he is a big leader and we have worked with him. Final decision will be taken by CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis. We will be very happy if he joins us," Samant said. 

However, Ajit Pawar refuted such speculations as "baseless," and denied that he had scheduled any meeting of MLAs for Tuesday. Ajit Pawar on Monday also stated that he had no booked activities, despite allegations that he had cancelled his obligations in Pune.

"I was present at MGM Hospital in Kharagar, Navi Mumbai, on Monday to offer condolences to the families of the deceased and to provide comfort to those affected by heat during the 'Maharashtra Bhushan' Award ceremony on Sunday. I had no scheduled events (to attend) on Monday as I am still in Mumbai," the opposition leader was quoted by PTI in its report.

He further claimed that he will be in Mumbai on Tuesday. "I will be present at my office in Vidhan Bhavan for regular work. Reports are being circulated in a section of the media saying I have called a meeting of MLAs on Tuesday. These are completely false reports. I have not called any such meetings of MLAs or officials," he said.

In the midst of intense speculation in Maharashtra's political circles about Ajit Pawar moving closer to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two MLAs of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) declared on Monday that they will remain devoted to their leader no matter what "decision" he makes in the coming days, PTI reported.

Manikrao Kokate, one of the legislators, even asserted that the majority of the NCP's 53 MLAs would follow the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly if he allied himself with the BJP.

(With Inputs From Agencies)